Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was hard to think through the pain.

Even more difficult to speak when your lungs had been cremated and your ribs forcefully turned to char.

Ace could feel his body going numb, a cold overtaking his limbs that conflicted with the burning in his chest and pain that made him woozy. He was distantly aware of the fighting happening around them, but it all felt so far away.

He could feel Luffy trembling under his weight. He pulls his brother into a tight hug with what little energy he has left.

When he tries to speak, he feels blood gurgle up into his throat. He chokes, feeling it dribble down his chin, and squeezes his eyes shut as he tries to inhale. All this accomplishes is making him cough up more blood, panting as his vision begins to go white.

“L… listen, Lu,” He says, voice so quiet it's barely a whisper. “I can barely speak anymore, but could you tell everyone something for me?”

If Luffy answers, he isn’t sure he could hear it over the faint buzzing in his ears. He doesn’t think he could will his body to move right now if he wanted.

“Tell Pops… e.. every…” he takes a shuddering breath, “Everyone, and you, Lu. Tha… ah… ank you, for loving some… one like me.” Shadows eat at the edge of his vision, his own voice sounding far away.  “Someone… with….” he trails off, heaving. There’s more blood pooling across his lips. “Such bad blood… in their veins.”

He uses the last of his strength to tighten his grip on Luffy, wearing a weak smile as tears begin to spill.

“Thank you for loving me.”

And then the world went dark, and the pain gave way to nothing......

Yet somehow, he wakes up.

Ace awakens with a strangled scream, clawing at the air. He jerks up, feeling like he’s falling, and manages to stumble despite lying down. He clutches the grass like it's going to give out from under him, taking in gasping breaths as if the air’s been stolen from his lungs.

It had been. His lungs were gone. How was he breathing?

All he can do for a moment is just sit there, nails digging into the dirt. His body trembles uncontrollably, still remembering the sensation of giving out completely.

Of dying.

He isn’t sure how long he has been sitting like that, taking quick, shallow breaths. The adrenaline pumping through his system makes his heart race.

How was it still beating?

He looks around wildly, eyes still adjusting to the light, trying to make sense of what he is seeing. As he collects himself, a new, frantic thought pops into his head, the only cohesive thing he can really think right now through the pain.

Where is Luffy? Is he okay? 

“Lu-” He tries to call out, but immediately devolves into a coughing fit, hunching over onto one side. His body shakes uncontrollably, and his lungs burn. His vision blurs, splotches of white dancing across his eyes as his body spasms involuntarily.

He isn’t sure how long he sat there, waiting for the coughing to subside. Trying to breathe in deeply feels like he’s just going to start choking again.

Finally, after a few more moments of stillness, Ace starts to try to look around. Where…. Where was… why was he here?

Ace looks around wildly, blinking in confusion. Marineford… that had definitely felt like he was dying.

I mean, I could have sworn I had my organs destroyed…. Ace thinks, baffled. I couldn’t have….

Slowly, he glances down at his chest. What greets him is a gnarly, massive scar across his chest. He tentatively, gently traces his fingers across it, and winces. 

How is that…? Did someone heal me? Ace wonders. It certainly looks that way. But how?

The Grand Line is full of mysteries. You always have to expect the unexpected. It’s not like.. It was impossible that there was some kind of fruit or power out there that could have healed his injuries.

But why would someone… the thought lingers in his brain, Waste something like that on me?

It… could have been Marco, his brain argues, but that didn’t sit right. Marco’s fruit was strong, but its healing properties on other people had never been that strong. Could have been an awakening, he thinks, but shakes his head. He’s getting ahead of himself.

Which reminds him… where even is he? Now that his head isn’t buzzing, he can properly take in the scenery.

Definitely not Marineford, that much is obvious. 

If he’s… somehow not dead, it would make sense that he was taken somewhere else. 

But… he’s in the middle of a forest? If he were injured and taken somewhere to heal, wouldn’t he be in a medbay? That made the most sense to him, at least, but his head still felt kind of woozy.

Actually, this forest seems oddly familiar. Almost like…

He feels his breath catch in his throat when his eyes land on something he recognizes. That’s a laughing mushroom, he thinks, but I’m pretty sure those only grow on….

Was he… back on Dawn?

That was impossible. For well, a lot of reasons. He had too much of a headache to bother sorting through them all. He couldn’t think of a single good reason he should be here. Pops wouldn’t bring him here. 

It could have been- 

No.

He shuts that thought down almost immediately. There’s no way the old man would have helped him after everything. Thrown away everything just for…

Maybe… maybe I’m dead after all… he wonders. if he’s here on Dawn.. well. Things just didn’t add up. Not to mention, he’d been so certain he was dying before.

He continues to look around, and the more he focuses on his surroundings, the more familiar it all looks and the more certain he is that he’s back on Dawn.

And with that, the chilling realization that maybe he hadn’t survived after all.

Still doesn’t explain why everything hurts though. Ace thinks, biting his lip. It hurts to breathe, it even hurts just to sit up. It certainly felt like he’d had his organs cremated.

Then again, who’s to say stuff wouldn’t still hurt when you’re dead? Considering my luck... He grimaces. Who could say anything about death, really? It's not like you could come back and tell people what it was like.

But still, everything felt so… real? So mundanely normal? The soil underneath his nails, the breeze blowing gently through his hair. That earthy smell just after a fresh rain shower. The distant call of birds echoes through the trees.

Maybe. Maybe that’s just what the afterlife is like, he thinks absently.

Still possible I’m not dead. He thinks, glancing back at his scar.

But maybe I am. And if that’s the case….

Ace stiffens. If he were dead… did that mean Sabo would be here?

The thought stirs him into action. That’s how he can tell if he’s dead or not. If this really is the afterlife, and it has taken him back to Goa, then wouldn’t that mean his brother was here with him? Maybe that’d be too optimistic. Even if he were dead, who’s to say the universe would be kind enough to let him see his brother again? 

With my cursed blood… Sabo’s probably in a much better place than I am.

Then again, a small voice says, I don’t think Sabo would like fancy golden arches and pristine chapels all that much.

He would snicker at that idea, but laughing, he finds, hurts. Just like everything else, it seems. Instead, he devolves into a wheezing cough, covering his mouth with his hand as his body shakes.

When he pulls his hand away, he notices little specks of blood in his palm.

Hmm, that doesn’t seem normal.

I can worry about that later, he thinks to himself as he drags himself to a standing position. His legs shake as he tries to balance himself, awkwardly falling to one knee. The sudden movement made his head spin.

Ugh, c’mon. Just get up already. He hisses at his body. He’s had to deal with worse pain than this before. This was nothing compared to-

He shakes his head, a chill running up his spine. Not the time to think about that right now.

Alright, okay. Well, if he’s really dead, and this was some kind of purgatory, hell, or whatever, how would he figure that out? Sabo’d probably be here, unless, of course, he’s somewhere else. Would Sabo go to hell? Probably not. He’d like to think not anyway. 

He could try looking around for answers. If he were alive,  then… he glances up at the skyline. Through the trees, he can clearly make out the peak of Mt. Columbo.

Don’t think the old bandit hut is too far from here, he muses. Could make the hike over..

If he were alive somehow, in a way that defied logic, Dadan would be there. She’d know how he got here, probably. At the very least, she’d be the most likely person on Dawn to have some clue of why he was here. It’s not like he had any idea where Gramps was…

If he was the one who brought him.

And well, if he were dead, the cabin would be empty. Probably. His face morphed into a slight frown. He hoped, at least.

He isn't sure death follows rules, though. Who’s to say what he’d see if he were dead? He’s been all over the grand line and heard all kinds of stories about what the afterlife might be like. As he begins to walk vaguely in the direction of the old cabin, his mind drifts to the thought of death. He vaguely recalls a conversation he had with his crew back before everything went to shit.

It had been a pretty successful day. Apparently, the 4th and 10th divisions had scored the crew a new territory, arriving with boxes full of supplies and gifts. Ace frankly couldn’t recall any of the details, just heard Curiel mention something about “heavenly tribute” and some other stuff, mentioning some king Ace couldn’t remember the name of. 

So suffice to say, the energy was pretty hectic. Definitely lively. Then again, most days on the Moby were.

Thatch had decided to set up an impromptu barbecue with the food they’d gotten. After some boisterous conversation and rowdy setting up, things had settled down into quieter, casual conversation. Ace had sat down between Vista, Marco, Thatch, and Blenheim, happily tearing into the leg of… some kind of animal.

“Hey, do you guys ever think about death?” Thatch had asked out of the blue, prompting Vista to choke on his drink. Marco just gave him a tired look.

“So morbid!” Someone had shouted, and Ace snickered.

“Can you not lead sentences like that-yoi?” Marco had asked. 

Thatch had waved his hand dismissively, “I just mean in regards to what comes after all this, you know?”

“What brought this on?” Vista asked.

Thatch had shrugged, “Just food for thought, I suppose. Visiting new places, learning about new cultures. It’s interesting, ya?” 

“Sure,” Vista had hummed, taking another sip of his wine, “Learn something new while you were at Navin?” That had been the name of the new territory, if Ace was remembering right.

“Not anything specific really. They just happened to be having some kinda cultural festival honoring the dead, so that’s what got me thinking about it.”

“Hmm… Well, where I’m from, they believe in the idea of reincarnation. Upon death, our souls are recycled back into the world to experience it anew,” Vista had responded.

Reincarnation, huh? “Could you be reincarnated as anything?” Ace found himself asking.

Vista gave an amused laugh, “Typically, you'd return as a human. Though if you had done enough bad in your past life, they say you'd be reincarnated as a beetle.”

“A beetle?” Thatch had laughed, slapping his knee, “Well, at least you don’t gotta worry about human things as a beetle. No wars, no politics. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”

Ace snickered as he reached for another piece of meat. Vista had only amusedly rolled his eyes.

“You won’t be saying that when you get eaten by a bird, my friend.” Vista had said, placing his glass down, “Tell me, what is your idea of the afterlife like?”
“Let me see…. I suppose I imagine a paradise, I guess. That’s what I grew up hearing, anyway,” Thatch said, humming, “All the food you could want, all the luxuries of life, etcetera, etcetera.”

“That is, if you’re judged to be good. Bad people were said to go straight to hell!” He good naturedly smiled, “Don’t reckon they’ll let a pirate into the pearly gates. But what’s the point of life if not to live it, am I right?”

A round of “here here’s” was spoken by the crew. Next to Ace, Blenheim taps his chin.

“In Alabasta, we believe the afterlife is a mirror of the living world. You would be judged by the great guardian jackal upon entry. He would weigh your heart against a feather, weighing your sins. If you were judged to have a good heart, you’d be allowed into a paradise where you could live much like you lived here on earth.” Blenheim explained.

“Huh, well, I wouldn't say no to getting to sail with you lot for eternity," Thatch had said with a grin.

Blenheim raised a glass, “Aye, I definitely wouldn’t complain about getting to spend my afterlife sailing the seas with my brothers, Gods willing!” he laughed, and the rest of those present joined in. 

“What about you, Ace, any thoughts?” Thatch had asked.

“Oh, uh, not really something I have thought about too much, I guess,” Ace had said, mumbling into his meat as he took another bite.

Well. Not for himself, anyway. He wasn’t sure what awaited him upon death, but he was certain it wasn’t anything good.

“Hmm, that’s fair. You’re young and spry. Don’t gotta worry about that kinda stuff like us old men,” Thatch had joked.

Marco groaned, shaking his head, “Don’t call yourself old, you’re only three years younger than me. That makes me feel old-yoi.”

That memory faded as a rustling in the bushes snapped Ace out of his thoughts.

He tenses, quickly lowering himself into a fighting stance. He’s injured, sure, but if he’s on Dawn, he doubts there will be anything that’s much of a threat…. Here…

His thoughts trail off as he watches the thing emerge from the underbrush. His eyes grow wide, breath catching in his throat. Not from fear, no, this is an entirely different emotion. Surprise.

Because that thing shouldn’t be here.

It was a tiger. A massive tiger, its fur bleached a faded brownish orange, patches of fur missing in some places, revealing many scars. Its most prominent scar, however, was the one underneath its chin, tearing under its jaw and across its neck.

All Ace can do is stare as the massive creature roars at him. He would recognize that scar anywhere. It was from an, at the time, terrifying tiger that had practically ruled over the mountain when he, Luffy, and Sabo were kids.

A tiger they’d killed ten years ago.

Ace just barely has the presence of mind to dodge out of the way of the tiger’s claws as it lunges. He knows he doesn’t have to dodge, being a logia and all that, but that thing brings back some not-so-pleasant memories. 

Specifically, of needing to learn how to sew up a bleeding gash in one’s arm.

He doesn’t have time to linger on that thought, though, as the beast swipes again. This time Ace ducks underneath, a feral grin spreading across his face.

Back when they were kids, this thing used to terrify them. Not that Ace would have ever admitted that to his brothers. It had been a near-immovable object back then.

But now…

Ace’s hand alights, and the tiger barely has time to register the sudden burst of heat before Ace uppercuts it in the chest. Flames swirl forward in a powerful blast, knocking the tiger back and slamming it against the row of trees.

It slumps over, charred body still smoldering. Ace can’t focus on that, though, because as soon as he threw that punch, he felt the urge to reel over. He collapses to one knee and begins to cough up blood and bile. He shivers, clutching his hand, which feels like it's covered in pins and needles. 

Eugh. Okay. Maybe that kinda force was unnecessary. But in his defense, normally he can pull that kinda move without breaking a sweat.

He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, grimacing as his vision slowly clears. He glances over at the body of the tiger, frowning.

Why was it here? Wait, was this like the time Blamenco told him that a person would have to fight every animal they had ever eaten once they died?

No, he decided, that was still stupid.

He sat on his heels, eyes tracing the tree line. The fact of the matter though, was that that tiger was very definitely dead. 

Then, he thinks slowly, I’m probably dead. If I’m seeing dead tigers.

Dead, and ten years in the past apparently.

Wait.

Ten years in the past.

The memory returns to him.

“I think,” Marco had hummed, “It would make sense if the afterlife let you relive your most cherished memories. Meet people you’ve lost, experience the world from the eyes of when you were happiest, you know-yoi.”

Could that be it? Could he be…

He chokes on his breath, jerking upwards.

He needs to get to the treehouse.

Ace ignores the burning in his chest and hands as he sprints through the forest. He distantly notices, as he ducks under branches and pushes aside foliage, that he’s actually closer to the treehouse than he realized. Had he been subconsciously going in that direction while he’d been lost in thought?

He bursts into the clearing surrounding the treehouse, and just barely has enough peace of mind to remember “oh right, this is a past memory” to dodge the log trap that swings down in front of him. 

The log barely manages to phase him, though, as he approaches the treehouse. This time, he approaches a bit more slowly, taking the time to weave his way through the traps. They’re fairly cleverly hidden, but Ace has the benefit of having been the one who set them.

… Though, as he almost trips into a spike pit, it has been a long ass time since they’d set these up.

After Sabo was gone, spending time at the treehouse had just brought uncomfortable memories, so the traps had fallen into disrepair.

Ace felt a wave of nostalgia rush over him. He felt choked up, glancing up at the treehouse. It was… like new. He knew he’d been expecting that given his current theory of being dead, but still.

Everything looked exactly like it had ten years ago.

A budding feeling of hopefulness blooms in his chest, overpowering the achiness he’s been feeling since he used his fire on that tiger.

If he climbs up those stairs, would Sabo be there? Would Luffy? Would he be able to get to see them again, as they all were when they were kids?

He isn’t sure the universe is kind enough for that, but decides to climb the ladder anyway.

He hesitates for a moment when he reaches the trapped door. What exactly is he expecting to see when he opens it? What will Sabo say to him? Will Sabo even be there? Will anyone? He can’t hear any voices coming from inside.

He bites his lip. Quit being a coward and just open it already. 

Steeling himself, he pushes the trapdoor open.

Only to be greeted by an empty room.

He… tries to swallow his disappointment at no one being here. But it's strange, because part of him is…. Relieved? No, that isn’t the right word. Trepidatious? Is that the right word?

Geez, now he sounds like Deuce. 

He pushes himself up into the treehouse anyway, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He is… well. The thought of seeing Sabo again had definitely made him excited, but…

Would Sabo even want to see him again?

It’s your fault anyway. You weren’t strong enough.

He squashes that feeling down and looks around the treehouse. Much like the outside, the inside is covered in memories of a simpler time. Furniture they’d just pulled from the trash heap at the Grey Terminal. Items strewn about that showed kids had been living there. The smell of-

Ace perks up, darting over to the corner of the room. He grins when he spots the old icebox. By the time they were adults, that thing had failed ages ago. Hadn’t really been necessary considering their appetites and how quickly they ate through what they caught.

He still had no idea how Sabo had managed to fix the old thing up. Like everything else in the treehouse, it had been found at the Grey Terminal, looking more like scrap metal than something functional.

A smile of fondness tugs at the corner of Ace’s mouth. Sabo had always been so clever about things like that…

He pushes the door of the icebox open and sees several pounds of meat stored inside, practically jammed in there. Probably wouldn’t last long, knowing Luffy. Honestly, it was a miracle there was anything left after their hunts with his seemingly bottomless appetite.

More importantly, this shows Sabo and Luffy must have been here, at least.

Or it's just a memory of how things were before. His brain supplements. It doesn’t mean anyone’s here.

He sighs and closes the icebox. He leans back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. Well, he’ll give what is probably a death hallucination credit. They got all the details right. At least, as right as Ace can remember them.

As he moves to get up, though, he feels himself sway on his feet. He leans on the icebox for support, vision blurring. Shit, he’d forgotten he’d basically been running on adrenaline since he got here. But if he was dead, wasn’t stuff like doing health checks unnecessary? It's not like you can die twice.

…. Can you?

He tries to stand up again, and his legs nearly give out from underneath him. He wobbles uneasily and pants heavily as he falls to his knees. Why does his chest feel like it's burning? He manages to drag himself to rest against the wall of the treehouse, shivering despite the humidity of the forest.

This is so strange. He thinks, his internal voice feeling far too loud with the pounding headache he’s starting to develop. I thought pain was supposed to go away when you’re dead. Guess I’m not lucky enough for that.

He closes his eyes, grimacing. God, now that he’s sitting down, he is starting to realize how horrible he feels.

Very reluctantly, he opens his eyes again. His vision is still blotchy, probably worse than when he came up here. Despite the pain, he forces himself to keep his eyes open, glancing down to try to inspect the damage.

On the surface, everything seems fine. Aside from the massive scar on his chest, of course.

He runs a hand across it and immediately regrets doing that, as a sharp stab of pain shoots through where his heart would be. Ow ow shhh- !!

Ace grits his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut again. He isn’t sure how long he sits there still for, but the pain gradually goes away after a bit of waiting, and once it does, he lets out a breath, slowly opening his eyes.

It doesn’t seem entirely healed, if the pain is anything to go by. Still, the fact that it scarred over means it's been healing for a while, right? He checks it over again, this time being careful not to touch it.

The scar doesn’t look new. Or at least, not in the sense that the skin is still raw. It certainly doesn’t look old either, like many of the little scars littering across his arms, chest, and back from various fights he’d gotten into over the years.

He tries checking over the rest of his body. Aside from the scar, it seems like there isn’t anything off, at least externally.

Then the damage must be internal. He thinks with a grimace. That made sense, even if it complicated things. Considering how he died… probably busted up his internal organs pretty bad. Based on how breathing hurt and the sharp stabs of pain in his chest, he figured his lungs and heart were probably damaged.

That, however, raised another question: Did the afterlife have doctors? Or was he just supposed to deal with this forever now?

The universe has never been kind to me before, so why start now? He thinks morosely. Maybe that’s why Luffy and Sabo weren’t here. The treehouse was just here to taunt him with nostalgic memories and ghosts of people he wishes he could see again. Divine retribution or whatever.

He closes his eyes again and leans his head back against the treehouse wall. He focuses on his breathing, taking in the dewy, earthy scents of the forest. 

Well, whatever. Even if they aren’t here, seeing the treehouse again, like.. Like this, it has been nice. Lived in, lively. It did make him happy-

“Sabooo, Ace, c’mere! Something triggered the traps!”

Ace jerks up, heart hammering in his chest when he hears that voice. Luffy! So Luffy was here after all! Momentarily, a rush of panic shoots through him, as a paranoid part of his brain worries about whether Luffy escaped Marineford alive or not. He hadn’t even wanted to consider that possibility in his mad dash to the treehouse, but now, hearing Luffy’s voice again, he can’t help but fear the idea.

He scrambles to his feet, practically tripping over himself to get to the balcony of the treehouse. His fears prove unwarranted when he pokes his head over the railing.

It is Luffy, but a younger Luffy. Luffy from ten years ago, to be exact.

Geez, was he always that small? Ace can’t help but wonder, staring down at his even littler brother. It’s… Ace has memories of when Luffy was small, obviously, but now, as an adult..

He can’t imagine ever putting him in danger. Can't imagine treating him the way he did back then. 

Memories of Marineford rear their ugly head again. Memories of that same reckless little brother charging in to save him. Putting his life in danger because of Ace’s reckless mistakes. Staring down at this even smaller version of Luffy, even more unburdened and innocent, Ace’s brain unwillingly conjures up images of him at Marineford…

He shakes his head, scowling, and choking down that uncomfortable feeling. 

His Luffy was probably fine. His crew would have done everything to protect him, he hopes. He was his little brother after all.

Even though the kid is currently frowning and gesturing to the busted log trap, Ace can’t help but smile at him. Luffy has always had a way of lighting up a room. Just seeing him like this again…

Maybe the universe can be kind after all.

“Shit, Ace, he’s right.”

Oh.

He’d almost forgotten what his voice sounded like.

When he sees Sabo emerge from the trees, Ace is pretty sure his heart stops. All the noises of the forest seem to fade away to nothing, and all Ace can focus on is Sabo.

He’s right there. He’s alive.

He knows he isn’t, not really. Logically, he already accepted that he must be dead, that this is some kind of purgatory, maybe.

But seeing Sabo again, unchanged from how he remembers him. Alive. He’s overcome with so many emotions at once that he barely cares to consider that this version of Sabo isn’t real. All he sees in that moment is his brother, alive, talking with Luffy like nothing had ever happened. A beautiful, wonderful other reality where there had never been a fire, and that damned celestial dragon hadn’t ever shot him down.

A world where Sabo is alive.

Suddenly, Ace couldn’t care less about any of his phantom injuries. Couldn’t care less about much of anything, really. All that matters right now, at this moment, is Sabo.

He doesn’t hear what little Luffy or Sabo say next. He stands up from where he’d be watching them over the balcony of the treehouse, and effortlessly vaults over. He lands on the ground with a soft thud, startling both boys out of whatever conversation they’d been having.

For whatever reason, both Luffy and Sabo whip out their pipes almost immediately, taking on defensive stances. Sabo even puts himself a little in front of Luffy, who keeps glancing between Ace and Sabo.

“Who are you?” Sabo snaps, raising his pipe in a threatening display.

In lieu of an answer, Ace takes a shaky step forward. Luffy and Sabo both step back, stiff and uneasy.

“Sabo.. is that… really you?” Ace asks. 

This, evidently, was the wrong thing to say, because it only makes Sabo’s grip on his pipe tighten more, as he watches the kid’s eyes widening in… was that fear? 

“How do you know my name?” Sabo asks, gaze sharp. 

The question leaves Ace feeling confused and wrong-footed.

“You don’t... Recognize me?” he asks softly, crouching down so he’s eye level with Sabo.

He finally notices it. The total lack of recognition in Sabo’s eyes, and as he pulls his gaze away from Sabo, he notices it in Luffy, too. They don’t know who he is, he realizes with dawning horror.

With that realization, the dull pain in his head that had seemed so muted when he’d first spotted Sabo returned with a vengeance. He’s glad he crouched down because he’s pretty sure he would have stumbled over his own feet if he’d still been standing.

“No,” Sabo growls, voice cold, defiant, and cautious. “Now answer the question. Who are you? ”

Behind him, Luffy has lowered his pipe slightly, tilting his head with a curious yet wary expression, pouting. He looks like he’s trying to figure out if he’s seen Ace somewhere before.

“I’m-” Ace doesn’t have a chance to finish that sentence, because as soon as he tries to talk, he’s seized by a coughing fit. He collapses, falling to his knees as coughing turns to choking. When he stares down at the grass underneath him, he sees it stained with blood. 

Not a great sign.

“Woah, hey-” Sabo takes a step back, having gone from wary to alarmed.

He hears Luffy shout something, but he doesn’t hear it because his ears feel like they’re full of static. The white noise is the last thing he hears before he slips back into darkness.

Chapter Text

When Ace wakes up, the first thing he notices is that he's been tied up. As he tries to move, he can feel the rope tightly wrapped around his wrists and chest restraining him to what feels like a tree.

The next thing Ace notices is the sound of voices. He blinks the spots out of his vision, and as the world around him comes into focus, he feels his heart nearly stop.

Oh, right.

He was probably dead. This was some death-induced hallucination. Or maybe some kind of afterlife. The jury was out on which one exactly.

Standing a couple of yards in front of him was Sabo. A version of him, anyway. Seeing him made all his memories come flooding back. Marineford, his execution, his family coming to rescue him, Akainu going after Luffy, the searing pain of death, and then-

Waking up here, in the forest he grew up in, and seeing his brothers as kids again.

Ace swallows the lump forming in his throat. It was strange, though, he thinks to himself, that Luffy and Sabo hadn't seemed to recognize him. He would think that afterlife-induced visions would recognize him, despite his being older, since he figured stuff here would operate on dream logic.

Maybe this was the universe's way of punishing him. That look Sabo had given him had certainly hurt. The way there had been no recognition in his eyes....

Would it have hurt less if he remembered? If he had looked at you with contempt for not being strong enough to stop his death?

He should have known there’d be a catch to being able to see his brother again here in the afterlife. Men like him don’t end up in eternal paradise.

Ace shakes his head, trying to get rid of that train of thought, and returns his attention to Sabo.

He isn’t alone, he is only just now noticing. Luffy is there too, and…. Oh, that’s pretty trippy. It’s him . Well, not him him, but a version of himself from when he was a kid. Ace vaguely recalls having noticed him too, before he passed out earlier.

Hmm, so it seems like the three of them tied him up. This knotwork is pretty good . Ace thinks, a mix of bemusement and pride swelling in his chest, It’d probably be pretty effective against most people.

Unfortunately, “most people” are not made of fire.

Of course, Ace won’t break the restraints yet. He’s not in any danger, so he doesn’t have a reason to. Plus, it’d be pretty rude to burn up the ropes after his brothers put so much effort into tying him up.

…And by his brothers, he mostly means Sabo. Luffy couldn’t tie a knot to save his life.

Now that his head is a bit clearer, he decides to try to focus on whatever the three of them are talking about…

“-we just kill him?” He catches the tailwind of what his kid self is saying, sounding pretty agitated. Oh, they’re talking about him, that made sense.

“Because, Ace,” Sabo says placatingly, arms crossed, “I still want to know why he knew my name. We can’t find out if he’s dead.”

“Plenty of people know your name, ‘Bo,” his kid self mutters, “Bluejam probably knows it. He could be with him.” Ace scowls at the memory of that man. Why did the afterlife have to remind him of that scumbag.

“I dunno, Ace…” Sabo trails off, biting his lip, “He didn’t react like a Bluejam pirate would. Actually.. He didn’t really react like anybody I know would.”

“Because he’s obviously a crazy person!” His kid self shouts, throwing his hands up in exasperation. “Crazy people don’t act like you expect because they’re crazy !”

“You know, it's really rude to talk about people as if they aren’t there.” Ace pipes in.

All three kids whirl around, jumping in alarm when they hear Ace’s voice. They all take defensive steps back, raising their pipes in a defensive display.

“How long have you been awake?” His kid self snarls at him.

Ace hums, glancing at the canopy, “Dunno, a few minutes? I heard you guys talking about killing me, though. Just a heads up, might be kinda hard to do considering I’m already dead.”

He offers a lopsided grin, “Though, you’re welcome to try. It’d be fun to see if I could die twice.”

His kid self stares at him for a very long time, before gesturing to him while looking over his shoulder at Sabo, “See? What’d I tell you? Crazy person.”

Sabo ignores him, stepping forward. He’s got a determined look in his eyes. It's admirable how collected he looks. But Ace had known Sabo for so long, it'd be an insult to think he couldn’t tell when his brother was nervous. He hates seeing that look on Sabo being caused by him, so he tried his best to look less threatening. Granted, this was hard to do when tied up against a tree, so he mostly just settles for leaning back, offering a reassuring smile.

“Alright, I’m going to ask this again. Who are you , and how did you find our treehouse?” Sabo asks, eyes narrowed. He’s brandishing that pipe like a sword, but Ace can hardly find it intimidating when it fills his chest with a painful wave of nostalgic fondness.

This fondness is broken when his kid self steps forward, glaring at him, “More importantly, what do you want with us?” He asks.

Ace decides to ignore his kid self in favor of giving all his attention to Sabo. 

“I’m still not sure why you don’t recognize me,” Ace says, chuckling softly, “Why would the afterlife give me visions like this and make you guys not remember me? Seems pretty cruel.” His lips curl into a slightly bitter smile, “Not that cruelty is so surprising given my life.”

“What are you-” Sabo starts.

Ace continues, keeping his gaze locked on Sabo, “It’s me , Bo. I’m your brother. Ace.”

The forest plunges into silence, a tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. It is swiftly broken when his kid self starts snickering.

“Yeah, okay, that’s funny,” Mini Ace says, voice dripping with sarcasm and condescension as he turns to Sabo, “C’mon, ‘Bo, help me get rid of this guy, he’s pissing me off.”

Sabo is wearing an oddly neutral expression, head tilted slightly. His kid self raises an eyebrow at him when he doesn’t move.

“‘Bo, don’t tell me you believe him?” Ace asks in disbelief.

“What? No, ‘course not,” Sabo says, shaking his head, “Just kinda wanna hear him answer your question.” Sabo narrows his eyes at him, “Just to see what he comes up with.” 

Ouch. Well, Ace supposes he hasn’t exactly done anything to earn their trust.

“Are you happy, ‘Bo?” Ace finds himself blurting out before he can stop himself. It seems to catch Sabo off guard for a moment, but he doesn’t look any less tense. In fact, he looks kind of suspicious.

“Why would you care? I don’t know you,” Sabo bites back. Ace feels his chest constrict painfully, but refuses to let it show on his face how much that statement hurts. He swallows down the emotion, trying to find a response, but quickly finds himself caught off guard when Luffy comes barreling into him.

He blinks in surprise when he finds himself mere inches away from Luffy’s face, who appears to be inspecting him like one would a weird beetle.

Ace tilts his head, which is being squished by Luffy’s hands, “Whatcha doin there, Lu-?” he starts to ask, but then Luffy’s eyes go wide, and Ace realizes with a start that Luffy has begun crying.

“A-ace?” He whimpers out, “Is that really you?”

“Luffy! Stop being stupid!” Ace feels his hair stand on end when his kid self roughly grabs Luffy, dragging him away.

“Eh! Ace, let go of me!” Luffy whines, squirming. His kid self glares at him, which Ace is happy to throw right back at him.

“Look at what you’ve done, you’ve confused him!” His kid self snaps.

“Luffy, stop , this guy is clearly insane,” Sabo attempts to placate Luffy by placing a hand on the shoulder that his kid self isn’t holding onto. “Just let me and Ace take care of him.”

Luffy yanks himself out of his kid self's grip, expression determined.

“No, he’s telling the truth!” Luffy insists stubbornly, placing himself between the three of them, with Luffy stretching his arms out in a protective gesture. Ace would feel touched if he weren’t feeling annoyed at Luffy feeling like he needed to protect him.

“Lu, stop that, it's fine,” Ace says, trying to sound dismissive instead of annoyed, “I’m not in any danger.”

“You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew anything about us,” His kid self growls at him, raising his pipe. Ace resists the urge to roll his eyes.

“C’mon and try it then, pipsqueak,” Ace bites back, a teasing, vicious grin on his face.

“Pipsquea-!? Luffy, get out of my way !” His kid self snaps at Luffy when he tries to get between the two of them again.

Ace watches as his younger self roughly shoves Luffy to the side, making him bristle. He knows, deep down, that this was just the way they were as kids. He and Luffy had always roughhoused with each other. He never held back with his kid brother just because he was younger than him.

But this Luffy is so much younger than him, so small. And memories of the chaos of Marineford are so fresh in his mind, the fear for his younger brother is still at an all-time high. Forgive him for being a little on edge.

“Don’t push him like that!” Ace snaps.

His kid self, who looked ready to lunge at him, quickly recoils, taking a few hesitant steps back. Sabo has also raised his weapon, reaching over quickly to grab Luffy by the hem of his shirt and pull (or more accurately, drag) him behind them. Both of them are staring at him with wide eyes.

Ace deflates, a bit confused why they’d react like that, until he glances down at the ropes… oh. He burned through them. He hadn’t meant to do that. When he looks back towards the kids, Sabo and Ace look ready to attack him.

He puts his hands up placatingly, “Hey, hey, easy now. I didn’t mean to do that.”

“You mean you could have broken out at any time?” His kid self hisses out, white-knuckling his pipe.

“Well, yeah, but I was trying not to freak you tw-three out,” Ace says, correcting himself as he speaks, casting a sideways glance at his kid self. That is still taking some getting used to…

“Were you mocking us?” His kid self growls.

“What? No! God, was I always like this as a kid?” Ace says, mostly to himself, but his kid self looks angrier at the comment.

Ace watches Sabo and his kid self share a look. It doesn’t last long, but it's one Ace would recognize anywhere. He knows exactly what it means.

You go low and I’ll aim high.

So when the two of them strike forward like cobras, Ace already knows what they’ll do. He shifts to the side, moving to catch his kid self by the wrist and toss him. When Sabo aims his pipe at his legs, Ace redirects his kid self to send him flying at him. The two collide in midair, but this doesn’t deter his kid self for long, who falls into a tuck and roll, pushing himself up off the ground.

He jumps at him again, which Ace effortlessly dodges. 

“You know, I only came here to talk,” Ace says, aware of the fact that Sabo has also recovered from the toss, circling behind him. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

When the two try to lunge at him again, this time his kid self coming at him from the front and Sabo from behind, Ace leans back. He briefly makes eye contact with Sabo, as he (very gently!) redirects the force of the attack away from, angling Sabo so that when he jumps, he can harmlessly roll across the grass.

His kid self isn’t so lucky. He kicks the pipe out of his kid self’s hands, then grabs him by the wrist, twisting it behind his back as he roughly pins him to the ground, making him grunt in pain. He then places his knee on his back for good measure, because lord knows how persistent he was as a kid.

Well, his crewmates would probably say he was still stubbornly persistent when it came to a fight.

Even to his own detriment.

His kid self snarls at him, “You jackass, I’ll kill you!”

Ace frowns at him, “Yeah, good luck with that. How about you stop being a brat and calm down instead?”

“Fuck you!”

“That’s what I figured.”

He glances away from his kid self, who continues to writhe and shout at him, to make sure Sabo is okay. He really hadn’t wanted to fight him. The last thing he wanted right now was for Sabo to get hurt.

Fortunately, Sabo was fine, now crouched on the grass, looking mostly unharmed aside from being a bit dazed. In fact, he looked like he was about to lunge right back into the fray.

Ace was about to shout something to try to calm him down, try to reassure him, but Luffy beats him to it. He coils his arms around Sabo, stopping him in his tracks and preventing him from raising his pipe. Sabo stares down at Luffy with a mix of shock and annoyance.

“Wha- Luffy! Let go of me!” Sabo yells, trying to shove Luffy off.

Luffy only holds on tighter, though, shaking his head stubbornly, “No! You guys gotta stop try’n to hurt Ace!”

“ I’m Ace, you idiot!” Mini Ace hisses from where he’s being pinned down. He keeps trying, and failing, to break from Ace's hold, but Ace’s grip is like iron. “We told you, this guy is crazy!” 

“He’s right, Lu’,” Sabo says, still trying to push Luffy off while maintaining wary eye contact with Ace, “We can’t trust him.”

“Yes we can!” Luffy insists, putting on the biggest, saddest pout he could muster. If puppy dog eyes could kill, Ace was pretty sure he’d be in like, the next level of the afterlife right now. Afterlife two.

“Big Ace!” Luffy says, now looking at Ace, “Say something to make Sabo and Ace believe you!”

Eh! “Eh? What?” Ace blinks, put on the spot. He hadn’t exactly anticipated having to prove his identity to people after dying.

He flounders for a moment, trying to think of a good answer. Sabo is still giving him that icy look, and when he looks down, his kid self has briefly stopped struggling to glare up at him.

“Okay, let’s see… uhm…. oh! There’s that time when me ‘n ‘Bo were little. ‘Bo had only just started livin’ in the Grey Terminal, I think. Cuz’ he was kinda terrible at it, no survival skills back then…” Ace says, mostly thinking out loud.

“Hey!” Sabo says, looking offended.

“There was this time when Sabo ate this super toxic plant. I remember panicking and punching him in the gut to make him throw up. There was also that time he pissed off that goose and it chased him up a tree.”

Sabo is blushing now, while Luffy snickers, “Wow, Sabo was stupid!” He laughs.

Sabo thwacks him over the head, “As if you were one to talk!” he says, red still tinting his cheeks.

Ace makes a kind of half-scoff, half-laugh noise, “Yeah, you were way worse than Sabo ever was. At least he had self-awareness. Luffy, it’s like you want to get eaten sometimes.”

He shakes his head in amused disbelief, “I still remember the time Sabo and I had to cut you out of that alligator’s stomach.”

Luffy just giggles at him, the little menace. “Yeah, that was gross! I thought I was gonna die!”

Ace sticks his tongue out at him. “Then stop charging into danger, you brat.” He chastises, but it’s lighthearted. Mostly because he knows better than to expect Luffy to do what he’s told.

“I’m gonna be king of the pirates!” Luffy says, placing his hands on his hips, “I gotta be strong!”

“You also gotta be alive to do that, Lu’.” Ace remarks.

Next to Luffy, Sabo’s gaze has lost a bit of its bite. He has shifted closer to Luffy, though, for some reason. Ace wonders why. Sabo looks… a little nervous? That had been the opposite reaction Ace was hoping for..

“You could have been stalking us,” His kid self accuses.

“Please, you think you wouldn’t have noticed if you were being followed for weeks on end?” Ace scoffs, looking down at his kid self with a raised eyebrow.

His kid self looks like he wants to argue, but whatever he was going to say seems to die on his tongue. The kid looks like he's realized that denying that would make him look oblivious, and thus, he’s been trapped in a position where he either risks looking stupid or agreeing with Ace, so he chooses neither of these options by keeping his mouth shut and glaring at him instead.

Ace wonders where to go from here. Honestly, he hadn’t come here with a plan to begin with. He just wanted to check on Sabo and make sure he was okay.

Now that he’s done that… well. He’s struck by the realization that he seems to be making Sabo very uncomfortable. A pang of guilt claws at his chest. He didn’t mean to do that. He’d just wanted to see his brother again…

Hmm… he wonders if there was something he could do to help put them at ease. He could just leave, like his kid self wanted him to, but he wasn’t sure if he could do that without his kid self putting up a fight. At this rate, if he wanted to leave, he might have to knock the kid out, which he doubted his brothers would appreciate.

Then, he remembered the thing he left in the forest, and got an idea.

“Listen, how about a peace offering?” Ace offers, loosening his grip on his kid self just enough to allow him to wriggle free. He watches as he stumbles over to stand protectively next to Sabo and Luffy.

His kid self looks about ready to just start throwing hands with him again, but Sabo places a hand on his shoulder, giving him a look. The two share some kind of silent conversation using eye contact, before his kid self glares back at him.

“We don’t want your handouts,” he says sharply.

Ace ignores him and keeps talking, “I killed a big tiger that got in my way earlier. It was on the way here, so it shouldn’t be too far. You three are welcome to have it if you want.”

Luffy’s eyes, as to be expected, grow wide, and he starts drooling, “You brought food? ”

“Luffy!” His kid self shouts.

A thoughtful look crosses Sabo’s face, replaced with something a bit more stunned, before he turns back to Ace. “Wait, what did the tiger look like?” Sabo asks, eyes narrowed.

“Uhh, real big, kinda greyish, lots of scars,” Ace pauses, gesturing to his chin, “Had an especially nasty scar along its jaw.”

Recognition dawns on all three boys, and his kid self stares at him in disbelief.

“You took down the Tiger Lord?” He snaps, eyes wide.

“Yeah!” Ace says cheerfully, “I left it not too far from here.” He turns around, gesturing east, “Bout a quarter mile in that direction, cross the stream that heads towards the mushroom gorge. It’s in a clearing by the-”

Ace barely manages to finish that sentence before Luffy starts sprinting in the direction he pointed with a resounding “MEAT!”.

“Luffy, hey, don’t run off!” Kid Ace shouts, pulling at his hair in frustration. He looks conflicted between wanting to continue to fight Ace and going after Luffy. Sabo gives a small nod.

“Go after him. I think Luffy will get himself killed if he’s alone for more than five seconds,” Sabo says. He gives a sideways glance to Ace, who is still sitting with his legs crossed, before he turns back to Kid Ace with a small smile, “I’ll be fine, I think.”

Kid Ace flashes a look back between Sabo and Ace, before letting out a frustrated growl, “Sabo, keep an eye on him! I’m going after that idiot. Kill him if he tries to pull anything!”

With that, he chases off after Luffy, shouting obscenities in that direction. Ace watches them go, placing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

That left him and Sabo.

Ace sits back, crossing his legs. There’s a weird, uncomfortable tension in the air. Despite Ace’s relaxed posture, Sabo has remained upright, gripping his pipe while staring at him with intensity.

The last time Sabo looked at him like that was probably back when they first met. They’d both gotten in trouble with the same gang they’d tried to steal from, and had reluctantly had to work together to get themselves out of it. Ace still remembers it like it was yesterday.

Sometimes, shortly after Sabo’s death, Ace would wonder if it would have been better if the two of them had never met. Would Sabo still be alive if that had been the case? Would he have been happy?

What was important right now, though, was making it so Sabo would stop looking at him like that. He wondered if maybe he should just leave. Would that make Sabo happier? He seems nervous having him around…

“Hey,” Sabo says, breaking Ace out of his thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“I have a few questions for you.”

Well, Ace can’t say he blames him. He certainly has questions. Mostly about how he got here. “Fire away,” Ace says, leaning back against the tree he was formerly tied to. He'd gladly answer any questions if it meant Sabo would stop staring at him like that.

Though based on the way he was looking at him right now, Ace couldn't help but feel like this was about to turn into an interrogation. Might as well get comfortable.

Sabo hadn’t known what to think when he, Luffy, and Ace had returned from their trip to the Grey Terminal to find that one of their traps at the treehouse had been activated. One of the traps being triggered could only mean someone had found the treehouse and attempted to get in. Or maybe some stupid animal had gotten caught.

They’d immediately been on high alert, and it hadn’t taken long to find the intruder.... who had jumped down right in front of them.

The strange thing was that the guy acted nothing like how you’d expect someone who just broke into their house to act. He had seemed… emotional at the sight of him and Luffy, as if he knew them.

Ace had shown up shortly after that, ready to jump in and attack the guy for invading their treehouse, but then the guy had just started… coughing up blood.

And damn, there’d been a lot of blood. Which was shortly followed by the guy passing out.

For a moment, all Luffy, Sabo, and Ace had been able to do was stand there and stare at the guy, now lying in a pool of his own blood.

“IS HE DEAD?” Luffy had shouted, snapping him and Ace out of their stupor.

Sabo had been at a loss for what to actually do with the weird stranger, but Ace had insisted they at least tie him up first. Sabo had still been concerned about the whole.. Coughing up blood thing. Seemed like something that you’d need medical attention for.

Well, whatever. The guy had trespassed first, so he probably deserved it.

They’d thought that when the guy finally woke up, they could get answers. When he finally woke up, though, what happened next honestly just left Sabo with even more questions.

Did this guy seriously expect them to believe he was actually Ace? Had he, what? Time-travelled? That was ridiculous.

But then the guy had said things about them that he should have had no way of knowing. Even if he was a stalker like Ace suggested, the detail and way he described stuff made it seem like he had actually experienced those things.

It was unsettling. And weird .

To top off the weirdness cake, the guy, as it turned out, was pretty damn strong. So strong it was obvious he wasn’t taking them seriously. He barely had to make an effort to dodge their attacks, like he instinctively knew their fighting styles and patterns.

It was almost like a dance. It irritated Sabo, and he could tell it was pissing Ace off.

Sabo didn’t get this guy. He was strong, yet he didn’t seem to want anything. He’d suggested a “peace offering” despite having nothing to gain from it. Why bother with this whole convoluted song and dance? What did he want ?

Because if Sabo had learned anything, it was that you never got anything for free. People always wanted something.

So when Ace and Luffy had run off, Sabo had decided to stay behind, for a lot of reasons. Mainly, because he didn’t trust this stranger, this.. Not-Ace, as he’d dubbed him in his head.

Another reason he’d stayed behind? Because he wanted answers.

“If you’re really Ace, then… Why are you an adult?” Sabo asks, accusingly.

“Well, it looks like I’m ten years in the past,” Not-Ace answered, almost sounding unsure, tapping his chin in thought.

“What, did you travel back in time ?” Sabo questions, clearly skeptical.

Not-Ace tilts his head curiously at him, “Time travel, huh? That’s a fun thought.” Not-Ace responds, sounding amused, “I think Marco told me about a devil fruit that could do that once. Never heard of a fruit that could send you to the past, but the Grand Line is full of crazy stuff!”

Sabo gave a frustrated huff at the non-answer, “So are you saying that’s what happened to you or not?”

“Nope!” Not-Ace responds cheerfully, “I already told you I’m dead.”

Right, that is what he had said earlier, wasn’t it?

“If you’re Ace, and you’re dead, then does that mean I’m dead? And Luffy? And why would there be two Aces?” Sabo asks with increasing frustration.

A flash of something somber crosses Not-Ace’s face, and his smile becomes a bit strained, “No, no, Luffy isn’t dead. He can’t be.” There’s something desperate in that tone despite Not-Ace’s attempts to put on a carefree face.

“As for why there are two of me, I think this is like uh.. A reliving memories type situation.”

Sabo keeps staring at him for a moment, processing. “So.. if that’s true… and this is a memory… Does that mean I’m not real?” Sabo asks. This conversation was giving him a headache.

“Do you feel real?” asks Not-Ace, his expression oddly serious.

“I uh? Yes? What kind of question is that?” Sabo asks, annoyance growing.

“Then that’s all that matters!” Not-Ace says too cheerfully, as if that answers any of Sabo’s many questions.

Sabo takes a deep breath. It’s obvious he’s not getting anywhere with this line of questioning, and trying to get concrete answers out of this guy was only leading to frustration.

His mind wanders as he tries to think of something else he could ask. As weird as this whole conversation has been, he can’t deny the fact that the guy did know stuff he shouldn’t.

Not to mention something about him just felt so familiar….

But what else could he ask to confirm his identity? Something that only he and Ace would know?

Then it clicked.

Oh, he could ask him about that .

“Can I ask you another question?” Sabo asks, fidgeting with his pipe.

“Sure.”

Sabo takes a deep breath. He knows this is a sore subject for his Ace and would most certainly result in Ace beating him over the head. If this guy isn’t Ace, it should be a fairly innocent question, but if he is…

Well, life is all about taking risks, I guess.

“Who is your father?” Sabo asks, already tensing in anticipation of an answer.

The reaction from Not-Ace is almost immediate, with how his expression darkens, and the corner of his mouth tightens into a grimace. He’s glaring, but even though it doesn’t seem to be directed at Sabo, it still sends a chill down his spine.

It’s uncanny, because that’s exactly the kind of reaction his Ace would have to being asked that question. To be reminded of him .

Sabo is fully expecting Not-Ace to start yelling at him with an expression like that, like how his Ace would probably start yelling at him.

Instead, he gets a different kind of response.

“Whitebeard,” Not-Ace says, with a bold finality that leaves no room for discussion.

Sabo opens and closes his mouth, trying to find a response. That… was not what he’d been expecting. Then again, he isn’t sure what he was expecting. This couldn’t be Ace. That’d be impossible. 

Normally, such a response would be enough for Sabo to confirm that this must not be Ace. The real Ace’s father was Roger. While he wouldn’t normally blurt that out to just anybody, Sabo knew who Ace’s dad was, so any version of Ace would know that he knows. So, finding out this guy apparently has another dad should confirm that he isn’t Ace.

Except… that doesn’t account for the cold look Not-Ace had gotten when asked about his father. The vibes he’d given off were just way too much like Ace.

“He’s… your father?”

“Only father that matters to me.” 

Ah. Well. That had more implications.

Sabo bites his lip. He should push. He should get some kind of actual confirmation. This guy could be operating on fortune-teller logic. But even that excuse seems flimsy to him, because he’d given such specific details about their lives earlier…

So instead, he decides to ask a different question, “... I find it kinda hard to believe Whitebeard is your dad. Isn’t he like… a famous pirate?”

Almost immediately, Not-Ace’s whole demeanor changes, and a big fond grin spreads on his face, “Yep! He’s my captain, and the greatest pirate in the world!”

“Sorry, you have a captain?” Sabo is unable to stop himself from asking in disbelief. He knows he shouldn’t be entertaining the idea of this guy being Ace, but that is the most shocking thing any version of Ace could possibly say. He can’t imagine his Ace taking orders from anyone.

“Surprising, I know,” Ace chuckles, “I had my own crew at first. We were called the Spades. We sailed the Grand Line together for about a year before we met Pops.

"I challenged him to a fight. ‘Thought if I could kill one of the four emperors of the sea, one of the strongest pirates in the world, I’d be recognized for my own merits. 

"Yeah, no, Pops kicked my ass.

"For some reason, Pops saw something in me despite all that. Asked me to join his crew. ‘Course I said no at first. Pops said my options were either to stay and become his son or leave and get stronger to challenge him again. I chose neither at first, and just stuck around stubbornly trying to kill him.”

Not-Ace laughs fondly at the memory, as if it's some whimsical past experience and not like. Attempted murder.

“Took me about 100 tries before I stopped and finally decided to join them, and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.” 

One hundred tries… Well, that did sound like something Ace would do. He was stubborn to a fault and never backed down from a fight.

Sabo continued to stare at Not-Ace, but now he really took the time to look at him. When he disregarded how insane it would be for his Ace and this guy to be the same person, they really… did look a lot alike. Dark eyes, freckles, and black hair.

His mannerisms, too, were so much like Ace's. Sure, this Ace's more sociable and carefree demeanor had thrown Sabo for a loop at first, but his reaction to being asked who his father was was so much like the Ace he knew.

Sabo felt… conflicted. He isn’t sure he can believe the guy, but everything he said…

Sabo pushes the thoughts away, heaving a sigh. A devil fruit, huh? That would be an explanation. Sabo had known Luffy long enough to know that devil fruits were weird and defied logic.

Still didn’t explain why the guy thought he was dead, though. What a weird detail to throw in. Sabo closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh. 

“You seem stressed,” Not-Ace comments.

Sabo opens his eyes and stares sharply at Not-Ace, a look that very much reads ‘not impressed’. “Gee, I wonder why,” he mutters.

Not-Ace’s expression shifts, looking a bit more.. Sorrowful? No, that’s not quite right. Sabo isn’t sure there’s a word to describe the look Not-Ace is giving him.

“Sabo,” he says seriously, making Sabo stiffen at the tone, “I… never came here intending to make you uncomfortable.”

Well, he certainly failed if that was the case.

“If you want me to leave… I can. I would never want to do anything to hurt you. You should be free… free to live your life and be happy.”

Sabo feels..... something painful constrict in his chest. He bites his lip and looks away. He shouldn’t be getting so worked up by words coming from a stranger.

“You… wanted to know if I was happy?” Sabo asks slowly, carefully meeting Not-Ace’s eyes. He looks… remorseful. Sad?

Guilty?

“I am,” Sabo says softly, “Really. Luffy and Ace, they’re…” Sabo shouldn’t say too much. Talking about things like this with adults has done nothing but cause him problems in the past, but something about this stranger makes that feeling of trepidation seem far away. “I wouldn’t trade this life for the world.”

Something akin to relief flashes in Not-Ace’s eyes, and Sabo isn’t sure why the expression suddenly makes him feel so relaxed.

“That’s… good.” He says, body sagging. He suddenly looks a lot more exhausted, the scar on his chest seeming deeper and more pronounced. He offers a warm smile, “I’m really glad to hear that.”

He’s so much like Ace and yet so… not . It was like staring at a reflection, in every sense of the word.

A loud crash catches Sabo’s attention, as he and Not-Ace immediately turn towards the source, coming from the woods. It's quickly accompanied by distant yelling. Sounds like Ace and Luffy are back.

“Ah, looks like that’s my cue to leave,” Not-Ace remarks, lazily rising to his feet with a stretch.

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Sabo asks, jumping to his feet.

“Yeah, I don’t think my kid self is too happy about me being here,” Not-Ace says with a mirthful laugh, “‘Sides, I got what I came here for. Seeing you and Luffy safe was enough for me.”

There’s something so… longing in that sentence. Something so sad despite the finality of it. Longing isn’t the right word.

It seemed almost like mourning.

Sabo can’t ask him to stay because he knows he’s right. He also can’t ask him to stay because he doesn’t know what to believe about him yet.

Maybe… maybe they could try talking later. Sabo is sure he could find some time to sneak out at some point, maybe after Ace has calmed down, preferably.

I wonder if the guy will stick around. Sabo wonders. The guy claimed he got what he came here for, so would he have any reason to stay nearby? He might go back to wherever he came from.

“I’m gonna say goodbye to Luffy before I head out, and grab some of that tiger meat,” The guy says, gesturing towards the direction of Ace and Luffy. “You coming?”

“Y...yeah,” Sabo says, and hesitantly follows the guy. This should be a good thing, right? That this guy's leaving? 

So why does Sabo finds himself feeling… uneasy at the thought of him leaving? Is it because he's an unknown? Someone who could pose a threat, and he needs to keep an eye on? Or is it just the fact that he is saying stuff Sabo can’t piece together yet? A mystery Sabo can’t figure out?

Is there any truth to what he’s saying?

Sabo doesn’t know, but… he’s determined to get to the bottom of this.

Chapter Text

Ace curses as he chases after Luffy. He hadn’t wanted to leave Sabo alone with that guy. He was dangerous , that much the bastard had been made obvious with how he’d been taunting them the whole fight.

The nerve! Ace has no idea what that guy’s deal was, but if this weirdo tried to hurt his brothers…

Ace ducks under a branch and leans back as he slides down a rocky encampment. Luffy, only a few yards ahead of him, trips on the rocks, tumbling the rest of the way with a loud yelp. Ace watches him fumble, having no sympathy for him.

“Luffy!” He snaps, stepping over the rocks and reaching out to grab him. His brother is a little weasel, though, and just barely manages to jump out of the way, springing up like a slinky and continuing to mindlessly bolt in the direction the stranger had sent them.

“Luffy, you-! Stop!” Ace shouts, vaulting across the grass to tackle Luffy, causing them to fall into a tangle of limbs. In a practiced motion, Ace grips both of Luffy’s wrists, tying them in knots behind the kid’s back when he tries to throw a punch. 

Luffy struggles against the self-made restraints, whining in frustration, “Aa-aace! Let me go! I wanna get to the meat!”

“Stop being stupid!” Ace snaps as he punches Luffy on the head, making the boy hiss in pain and continue to get himself tied up in even worse knots trying to break free. “Did you even think? You could have been running into a trap! I had to leave Sabo behind because of you!”

Luffy stops struggling, looking at Ace with a very weird expression. Confused, mostly, “What’s Ace talkin’ about?” he asks, sounding genuinely confused in a way that only worsened Ace’s temper.

“That guy is bad news, Luffy!” Ace says, feeling like he’s talking to a toddler. Sometimes, trying to have a conversation with Luffy was like trying to explain math to a beetle. “You can’t just… trust him like that!”

Now Luffy is looking at Ace like he’s the one being silly, “Big Ace is nice! He’s like regular Ace, just bigger now!” Luffy says cheerfully. “We can trust him!” 

For some reason, he seems to see no issue with what he just said, or how insane it sounds.

Ace flicks Luffy on the nose, making him pinch his face up, “Don’t call him that! This is exactly what I’m talking about. ” Ace sighs and picks himself up from where he’d been holding Luffy, and looks around. He wonders, if the guy really did kill the tiger king like he claims, how far are they from it?

“Why don’t chu like big Ace?” Luffy asks, who has evidently decided to ignore him about not acting so familiar with the guy. 

“He’s not me , Luffy! He’s just some.... guy!” Ace says through gritted teeth. He decides at that moment he isn’t going to bother helping Luffy figure out how to untangle himself as he walks away,  ignoring the sound of protest from Luffy, who still hasn’t yet figured out how to get his arms out of the knots they’ve been tied into.

He spots the stream the stranger had mentioned, and as he walks, the trees become more sparse. The scenery soon changes as the trees give way to a small, rocky, mushroom-littered clearing.

Then, he freezes. At the edge of the clearing, slumped over against a pile of felled trees, is the tiger.

It’s just as huge as Ace remembers it. Even as a corpse, it still manages to be imposing. Though now, some of that fear is diminished by the ashen fur and the lifeless eyes. Crazy how it had seemed larger than life only a couple of days ago…..

Ace approaches it cautiously, getting close enough to confirm that yes, it is in fact dead. Totally fried by the looks of it. Ace wonders if the meat is even still good, as he pokes the burnt pelt. Great, he’d been hoping to sell that when they took this pain in the ass down, looked pretty ruined to him.

He sets his pipe down, pulling out his knife. He might as well check if the meat was still good before they drag this thing all the way back to the treehouse.

“Ace! Lemmie have some!” Luffy shouts, stumbling over himself, still tied up, as he tries to reach over Ace’s shoulder.

He swats at him, trying to keep the idiot from accidentally cutting himself on the knife. “Stop that! Let me finish cutting first, damn it!”

As soon as he gets Luffy to calm down, he gets back to work carving into the tiger’s pelt. As he cuts through the charred pelt and gets to the flesh underneath, he’s surprised to see it’s mostly fine. No charring or anything. In fact, towards the skin it almost smelled… cooked? Was that even possible?

“That smells so good!” Luffy shouts, excitedly jumping in place. Ace sighs, putting his knife away.

“Well, it looks… good enough, I guess.” He relents. Then, turns back to Luffy, pulling his brother’s arm up and over his head. Luffy blinks at him, before noticing he is in a better position to untangle his limbs, and quickly wriggles to free himself. 

He triumphantly raises his hands, “I’m free!” He shouts.

Ace rolls his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, free from something you did to yourself,” He snorts. “Now help me carry this back to the treehouse.”

“Yush!”

The walk back is slow, serving to put Ace’s nerves on edge. At some point along the way back, Luffy had started humming, totally oblivious.

Ace didn’t understand how Luffy could be so unbothered by a mystery guy showing up who claimed impossible things and knew private details about their lives. 

Ace trusted Luffy, but that didn’t mean he trusted Luffy’s judgment .

“Oh hey, there you guys are!”

Ace’s frown quickly deepens when he hears that voice. He grips his pipe tightly as he moves to position himself between the jerk-intruder and Luffy. He relaxes only a smidge when he spots Sabo, who is, thankfully, unharmed.

“Hey Sabo! We got meat!” Luffy shouts excitedly, waving at him.

“I see that,” Sabo remarks, taking it all in.

Actually, as Ace makes eye contact with Sabo, he notices a very weird expression on Sabo’s face. Like he’s just seen a ghost.

Immediately, Ace shot an accusatory glare at the stranger, a familiar mix of fear and anger bubbling in his chest.

“What did you do?” He demands.

The stranger has the audacity to laugh, “Good to see you too,” he says, brushing off Ace’s concerns with a non-answer. 

Behind him, Luffy, the traitor, beams, rushing past Ace to run up to the stranger. Ace ignores the way his heartbeat shudders when he sees Luffy so at ease with someone so… 

“Big Ace! How’d you kill that tiger? You must be really strong!” Luffy exclaims, practically jumping into the stranger’s arms.

“Is that what you’re calling me now?” The stranger asks, sounding amused. 

“Well duhhh, I can’t call you both Ace!” Luffy says, pouting as he hangs off the stranger’s arm.

“Hmm, good point! But technically, I’m older, so I was first. Shouldn’t that mean I’m Ace and my kid self is Little Ace?” The man flashes a grin at him that gets on his nerves.

“Call me that again and I’ll break your kneecaps,” Ace snaps, fingernails digging into his palms.

“Anyway!” The man says, continuing to piss Ace off with his flippant attitude, “You gotta be real strong to survive the Grand Line! That’s how I beat the tiger!”

“Woahhhh! I wanna be strong too! Just you wait, Ace! I’m gonna be Pirate King!”

“I’m sure you will, Luffy,” The man says. “Anyway, I think it’s about time I head out.”

“What!” Luffy cries, dropping down from where he’d been hanging off the guy, “but we barely got to do anything! I wanted to explore with you!”

That look is back on the guy’s face. The one of fondness and also incredible sadness. It makes Ace angry for some reason: “Maybe another time, Luffy.” He answers as he expertly untangles himself from Luffy’s grip. It’s a practiced motion, Ace notes, something he’s clearly had to do before…

Man, this guy just gets more and more confusing.

“There better not be another time,” Ace bites out. Luffy’s only response is to stick his tongue out at him.

“Why not?” Luffy protests.

“‘Cuz I said so!”

“That’s not a reason! You sound like Dadan!”

“No, I don’t!”

“Hey! Both of you cut that out!” The guy says, ruffling Luffy’s hair forcefully enough to shove him slightly. “How about the three of you focus on skinning this big tiger instead?”

Luffy looked like he had wanted to pout up at the guy, but at the reminder of food, he immediately brightened up instead. Before Luffy can run off, though, the stranger grabs him by the neck of his shirt.

“Not so fast, bud. I don’t think I trust you with a knife,” the stranger says.

“Get out of here already!” Ace snaps, patience thinning. The guy’s unbothered demeanor was really stressing him out.

The guy just rolls his eyes, tossing the knife he took from Luffy to Sabo. “Alright, alright, I’m leaving.”

“Luffy!” Sabo says loudly, distracting the boy who looks like he wants to pester the weird guy some more, “Help me make a fire so we can cook the meat!”

Luffy looks torn between wanting to talk to the weird guy more and wanting food, lip quivering as he glances between the two. It’s the most torn Ace thinks he’s seen Luffy about anything, and the fact that it's directed at some guy Ace doesn’t know just makes his anger intensify.

“Luffy! If you keep standing around, I'll get the first pick!” Ace snapped. This makes Luffy zero in on him, pout intensifying.

“No fair!”

“Yes, fair! Now go help Sabo!”

The guy, who’s carved out a chunk of meat and thrown it over his shoulder while they were talking, waves Luffy off, “Go on, Lu. You’ll be able to eat sooner if you help out!” Damn him for trying to be helpful.

Luffy is pulled along by Sabo, who spares one last glance back at the stranger, offering a little wave, “Ok… bye, Big Ace! I’ll see you later!”

“Cya Luff!” The stranger says, then, more quietly, “Bye, ‘Bo.”

Sabo tenses, sparing a glance at the stranger, before turning away.

The action spurs a feeling of protectiveness in Ace. He stalks towards the man as he’s getting ready to leave.

“Hey!” Ace yells. The man pauses, tilting his head at him. He hates the way he looks at him. It makes him feel… small.

“I don’t know who you are, or what you’re planning, but if you even think about messing with my brothers,” His eyes narrow, “I’ll kill you.”

The man stares at him appraisingly, then he smirks, “I’ll hold you to that.” He says, before turning and leaving.

Ace watches him go with irritation and confusion, which quickly turns into anger. Crazy weirdo . He thinks before heading back to join his brothers. Looks like they’ve already started a fire going.

“Who does that guy think he is, anyway…” Ace mutters, sitting down next to Sabo. Sabo hands him a cut of meat to roast over the fire, which Ace gladly takes.

“Ace! Bigger Ace!” Luffy says excitedly, leaning over Sabo, who is trying, and failing, to keep the idiot from burning himself on meat that isn’t finished cooking yet.

Ace had already had this argument with Luffy, so he turned to Sabo instead, “Did you learn anything from him?”

Sabo shoves Luffy off of him, making the boy tumble into the dirt with an oomph, “Uh… yeah. He said some pretty interesting stuff.”

“Interesting?”

“I dunno… said he was a famous pirate? With the Whitebeards…”

Whitebeard? Now that's a name Ace recognized.

“No way,” Ace says, shaking his head, “They’re supposed to be like, super strong.”

“Well, he was pretty strong…” Sabo points out.

Ace ‘tsks’, and glares at the fire. Sabo was right. That guy had treated them like they were just annoying him at best. It had been like trying to fight Gramps.

“He also mentioned there was a devil fruit that could allow the user to time travel,” Sabo remarks.

“You know, Sabo, there’s this thing called lying-” Ace starts with a smirk, earning him a huff from Sabo. With playful anger, he grabs one of the chunks of tiger meat and tosses it at Ace, who shields himself with a snickering laugh.

“I know he could be lying, you jerk,” Sabo says, “I’m just saying it’s probably unlikely.”

Ace isn’t sure why, but his chest twists uncomfortably at that. “ Why ?” He asks in disbelief.

“Just, I dunno. The way he described things. It all seems so needlessly convoluted. Why make up a lie like that? And I don’t just mean the devil fruit. The whole story is outlandish. If he wanted to make up a story to gain our trust, why go with that of all things?”

Just because Sabo had a point did not mean Ace liked or wanted to accept it.

“I don’t buy it,” Ace says stubbornly, crossing his arms, “And I don’t buy him .”

Ace wasn’t sure why Sabo couldn’t see it. He understands why Luffy would fall for the guy’s bullshit. He loved his brother, sure, but he also knew Luffy was an idiot. Sabo was supposed to be smarter than that, though. He’d always been clever. Shared Ace’s distrust for authority and adults, too. 

Ace did not like this guy’s vibes. Everything about him felt off. The way he stared at his brothers with such… fondness. It made Ace’s hair stand on end.

“I still think he’s just a creep,” Ace says as he reaches for another slice of meat. “Watching us when we weren’t looking.”

“You really think you and I wouldn’t have noticed a guy like that sneaking around us for this long?” Sabo asks skeptically.

Ace has no answer for that because it would mean admitting weakness. He’s always been perceptive. If you aren’t aware of your surroundings, you’ll be eaten; that’s a rule you learn quickly while living in the jungle.

The idea that a guy like that could have been watching them while remaining undetected that whole time… did nothing to quell the feelings of unease brewing in Ace’s gut.

“Look, I’m not saying I trust him,” Sabo continues, “It’s just really weird the stuff he knew. He…” he takes a deep breath, “He knows about your dad.”

Ace freezes, digging his nails into his arms.

He glares down at the ground. Bastard, of fucking course ….

“I don’t like this, Sabo.”

“Me neither.”

“I do!” Luffy says, oblivious, “Now there are two Aces!”

Ace grabs a piece of charcoal from the ground and chucks it at Luffy. He shrieks, wiping the soot off his face while shooting a dirty look at Ace.

“We could tail him,” Sabo hums thoughtfully, interrupting them, “See where he leads us. If he goes to Bluejam or somewhere else suspicious, we can just ambush him before he can say anything.”

“Hmm… that could work,” Ace muses, picking anxiously at the ground. “We’d just have to leave Luffy behind. He couldn’t be sneaky to save his life.”

“Hey! I can be sneaky!” Luffy insists, puffing out his chest.

“Says the guy who fell into that wolf’s den,” Sabo snickers.

Normally, Ace might smile at that. But the knowledge this guy has about him is way too unsettling. Everything is confusing right now. It doesn’t help that Sabo seems more uncertain than when they’d met him. Damn it! If only he had been here and heard what they talked about….

“Enough of this,” Ace spits out restlessly, standing up. He raises his fists, taking a defiant stance as he glares over at Sabo, “Get up, we’re sparring.”

“What? Right now ?” Sabo says, glancing over at the dying embers of the fire. “Ace, it’s dark.”

“So?” Ace is quick to say, grinning, “Don’t tell me you’re scared.” He adds with a taunting jeer.

“I’m not scared ,” Sabo bites back, “It’s just late and I…” he trails off, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with a long sigh. When he opens them, he meets Ace’s determined look with one of his own. “Fine, let’s do this. If you’re going to be pissy, I’m not going easy on you, though.”

“Perfect,” Ace says as he drops into a fighting stance, long shadows cast by the flames of the bonfire, “Bring it on.”

Sabo, true to his word, doesn’t pull any punches when he charges forward. Ace ducks out of the way as Sabo lunges, and Sabo quickly counters by trying to swipe one of his legs under Ace’s feet.

Ace stumbles back, dropping down to his back and using his palms to push himself into a roll to avoid Sabo punching him in the stomach, landing a kick to Sabo’s chin.

“Woo! Go Sabo! Go Ace!” Luffy shouts as Ace shoots forward and attempts to land a punch to Sabo’s chest. Sabo raises his arms to act as a guard, then dodges to the side, as the two of them exchange blows.

Ace feigns a blow, and when Sabo ducks, he manages to hit him in the shoulder. Sabo stumbles back as Ace lunges at him, the two of them going tumbling in the dirt.

Sabo manages to grab him by the back of his shirt and kick him off, attempting to pin him, but Ace kicks back, fast enough that though Sabo dodges, it leaves him unbalanced. As Sabo stumbles forward, Ace doesn’t give him time to balance himself, as he grabs him from behind. Sabo tries to headbutt him, but Ace pins him in a chokehold.

Sabo pants as he struggles to break free for a few seconds, before going limp. He stares over his shoulder at Ace, who’s grinning down at him from where he’s pinning him down..

“I win.” He says.

Sabo groans and pushes at his arms weakly, “Alright, alright, now get off.” He says, rubbing his neck.

“Oh! Oh!” Luffy jumps up, “I wanna spar too! C’mon Ace!”

Ace watches Sabo give Luffy a look, shaking his head at the two of them.

“Alright, Luff,” Ace says, a menacing grin spreading onto his face, as he swings the pipe to rest loosely on his shoulder, “Let’s go, then.”

Sabo makes sure to get out of the way before he can get caught in the crossfire, but it’s not like this will take very long. He sits down on a log a few feet away and watches as the two of them throw themselves at each other.

Luffy quickly throws himself at Ace, much like he usually does. He waves his arms back, tossing his fists like a whip. He makes it so easy, sometimes.

Ace effortlessly dodges, grabbing Luffy’s arms and shifting his weight to toss his kid brother over his shoulder. Luffy shrieks as he is thrown into a tree, falling onto his head. He whines, rubbing his head, before Ace grabs him and pins him down, placing his foot on his back.

“Luffy, you gotta stop doing that,” Ace huffs, gently kicking Luffy’s back.

He rolls over, pouting at him, “Doing what?”

“Being predictable!” 

“But I just made up the gum gum whip!”

Ace sighs, “I mean… what’s the word-”

“Telegraphing,” Sabo supplies.

Ace snaps his fingers, “You telegraph your moves too much. You make it too easy.” He flicks Luffy’s nose, “Be faster, stupid.”

“Oh yeah?” Luffy jumps up, “I can be faster! Let’s go again!”

“Nope, it’s my turn,” Sabo says, pushing up from where he’s sitting.

“I thought you were tired?” Ace snarks, giving Sabo a smirk.

“I’m not gonna half ass sparring,” Sabo says, stretching, before crouching down with a feral grin, “I’ll kick your ass this go around.”

“As if!” Ace laughs, dropping into a fighting stance. 

The sparring goes on like that for a little while longer. By the time it ends, the flames of the fire have died down to just embers, and the three boys are all panting from exhaustion. Sabo wipes his brow, taking a deep breath as he sits down next to Luffy.

“Do you feel better now?” Sabo asks, a slight jeer to his voice, trying not to let any exhaustion show.

“Yeah, I do, actually,” Ace ignores his taunting, sitting down beside him on the log. Sabo turns to Luffy, who is nursing the bruise Ace had managed to leave on his cheek.

“Hey Luff, do you need ice for that?” He asks, shooting a look at Ace, who just shrugs.

“Mmm… no, I dun think so,” Luffy says.

“Good, because I don’t want to waste the ice in the ice box, and I don’t know where we’d find any extra ice at this hour,” Sabo says, frowning as he stares up at the sky. The sun has completely set at this point, the sky only illuminated by the glow of the moon and stars.

“What about the peak?” Ace points out, gesturing to the top of the mountain. Sabo makes a face at him.

“I am not hiking all the way up the mountain while it's pitch black out.” 

“Sounds like something a coward would say.”

In lieu of a response, Sabo smacks him on the shoulder, which just elicits a laugh from Ace.

“So, what we gonna do tomorrow?” Luffy asks, hopping on the log, “We gonna go see Big Ace?”

Instantly, the mood sours again. Sabo cringes, while Ace scowls. “We are not doing that,” Ace says.

“Then what are we gonna do?” Luffy pouts, plopping down in the grass.

“Well, we were gonna go test out those skills we’d been learning from that old pirate to try to take down the tiger lord, but…” He glances at the cut-up remains of the carcass sitting a few feet away from them.

“Tsk, don’t remind me…” Ace mutters, glaring at the grass, “That jerk stole our kill.”

Sabo pats him on the back, “There are plenty of other giant animals on the island. We could probably test our skills out on another one of the animal lords higher up the mountain.”

“Oh! Oh! You think the Bear Lord is out of uhh… not sleeping anymore?” Luffy asks, sitting up.

“It’s called hibernation,” Sabo says, tapping his chin, “And maybe? We haven’t been up near that area in a while. No harm in checking it out.”

“Yush! This’ll be fun!” Luffy shouts, pumping his fists weakly. He then yawns, arms going weak and fists flopping to the ground, all stretched out.

“Right, well, that seems like our cue to sleep,” Sabo yawns too, glancing up at the sky. “It’s pitch black. We can go hunting tomorrow.”

“But I’m not,” Another yawn from Luffy, “Even tired…”

“Uh-huh,” Sabo says, rolling his eyes as he scoops Luffy up and hoists him over his shoulder. Luffy makes a vague noise of protest. “Well, I am, so I say we go to bed. You coming, Ace?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah…”

As the three of them made their way back to the treehouse to turn in for the night, Ace glanced towards the forest one last time. He still couldn’t shake the discomfort that had been lingering in the back of his mind since that guy had left.

Slowly, he turned back to follow his brothers. It didn’t matter. If that guy came back… well, he wouldn’t let himself be caught off guard like last time.

He would get stronger and make sure he could protect Sabo and Luffy, no matter what.

Ace had set aside the leg pelt and bones from the meal he’d just finished. He had considered making himself a hammock, but tanning the hide would take a while, and right now he was bone tired. He hadn’t even done much today, aside from killing that tiger and the brief tiff with Sabo and his kid self, yet his whole body ached.

Well, I guess I did die, so that’s something. He muses.

Maybe that’s just how death works. You came in with the energy level you went out with? Man, people who go peacefully must be pretty lucky. Although if that was the case, Ace felt like he should be in a lot more pain right now.

… He was too tired to think about the ramifications of death right now.

Instead, he flops down on the grass, tucking his hands behind his head as he gazes up at the sky. In all the time Ace had been alive, it had always remained unchanged, the same cycle of stars and constellations that were always there. Now is no different.

As his eyes drift across the sky, he’s reminded of when he shared a moment with someone like this the last time he was on Wano.

The fire had gone out at that point, now a dull orange glow against the darkness. Yamato had flopped down to lie next to Ace, across from him, so their heads were next to each other.

“You know,” Yamato said, smiling, “I heard a story once. About how a long time ago, there was a group of divine sisters who came down from heaven. They were the children of the dragon emperor and had snuck out without his permission.

While there, one of them fell in love with a mortal farmer. She decided to stay behind with him and start a family. Her sisters tried to cover for her, but their father eventually learned of her life with the farmer.

He was angry with her and brought her back to heaven against her will. The farmer tried to visit her, crafting a boat to sail across the stars, but the dragon emperor cut across the sky with his claws, forever separating them.”

Ace hummed, eyes trailing across the sky, “Not a very happy ending, huh?”

Yamato chuckles, but there’s a tinge of yearning in his voice as he continues, “They say that once a year, the stars themselves take pity on the two star-crossed lovers, and form a bridge to connect them. Giving them just a moment to be together….”

Yamato trailed off. Ace tilted his head to glance over at him and noticed he’d turned away from him.

“Hey,” Ace said softly, placing a hand on Yamato’s shoulder, “You okay?”

Yamato finally looked at him.

“You’re leaving tomorrow.” He said simply.

Ace’s chest twists painfully.  “I’ll come back,” Ace said, voice resolute, “And I’m not going to leave you behind next time.”

He reaches out, grabbing Yamato’s hand.

“You promise?” Yamato asked softly. There’s a spark of hope in his eyes.

“Promise,” Ace said, smiling, “Then you can join my crew, and I can show you everything the world has to offer.”

Ace squeezes his eyes shut and curls in on himself. He can’t bring himself to look at the stars right now, being reminded of that. How many other promises had he failed to keep?

He chews his lip so bad he’s pretty sure he can taste blood, tossing onto his side. All he can do is lie there, cold from the night air and guilt, as he waits for sleep to finally take him.

Chapter Text

Sleep was restless for Ace. Pure exhaustion was probably the only reason he finally fell asleep at all. He ended up being woken up just a few hours later by an intense wave of nausea and pain, and spent the next few minutes throwing up the dinner he’d eaten the night before.

The rest of the night had passed similarly, falling asleep and then being plagued by fits of restlessness, pain, and general feelings of sickness. Eventually, Ace gave up trying to sleep, rolling over with a defeated groan and rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes.

He glances up at the sky. There’s just a thin layer of sunlight peeking over the mountains, but it was hardly morning.

Well, guess I'd better get up anyway, he thinks. Doubt I'll fall asleep again at this rate. Plus, I'm starving.

He regrets this decision almost as soon as he tries to move. Moving sends a jolt of pain up his entire body, particularly in his chest. He props himself up on his elbows, squeezing his eyes shut as his whole body sways. He covers his mouth with a hand, a fresh wave of nausea coming over him.

He really did not want to throw up again.

It’s like an internal conflict. Hunger and nausea are dueling it out. He’s so hungry, yet he feels like he’s lost his appetite.

Deciding to ignore the pain, he forces himself up. This isn’t the first time he’s had to hunt while sick. He’d certainly never allowed himself to show weakness around the bandits.

It’s still weird to him, feeling like he needs to eat. If he’s being honest, the fact that he woke up here again is still kind of a surprise. He’s not really sure what he was expecting, though. 

He won’t complain, though, about getting to be here on Dawn.

I wonder if I could take something for the pain. Ace wonders as he picks himself up, stretching. Fortunately, he did happen to know of something that could probably help. He doesn’t know if it’ll work, granted, but… he doesn’t have anything better to do today.

The trek there is peaceful, if not a bit….. Frustrating. He’s painfully aware of all the ways his body isn’t cooperating with him. For some reason, as soon as he started walking, his legs began feeling all tingly. Similar to the sensation of your legs falling asleep, but worse somehow. Like they were stuck full of pins and needles.

Fortunately, he doesn't have to walk very far to find what he's looking for.

It’s a meadow containing a particular purple poppy. When Ace was a kid, he'd learned that the seeds could act as natural pain relievers. They weren’t strong, but they could get the job done for mild pain.

… Ace wouldn’t say what he was experiencing right now was mild, but some relief was better than none. His options right now were kind of limited. 

A rustling of the bushes behind him gets Ace’s attention as he is crouched over the plants, picking out the seed pods. He adjusts his position a bit, putting the seeds away in his pocket as he twists around to face the noise.

His caution immediately dissolves when he hears the hushed whisper of voices he’d recognize anywhere behind the bushes.

Soon after, Luffy bursts out into the open, falling on his face.

Ace relaxes immediately. Luffy gets up, shaking his head, looking a bit dazed, until he spots Ace. His eyes light up, and Ace spreads his arms to allow Luffy to crash right into him. Ace tries not to wince at the impact as he ruffles Luffy’s hair, falling back to sit on his heels.

“Hey Luffy, what are you doing here?” He laughs.

Luffy pushes Ace’s hand away from his head, grinning up at him, “Big Ace, fight me!” He shouts.

“Fight you?” Ace repeats, unable to hide the big grin on his face. Seeing Luffy’s big smiling face, happy and free of any injury or exhaustion, was enough to help Ace feel better.

“Yeah!” Luffy says, pushing away from Ace and placing his hands on his hips, “Sabo and Ace got to fight you yesterday, so I wanna do it too.”

Ace leans back, resting a hand on his knee as he crosses his legs, “Weren’t you the one who tried to stop them from fighting me? And now you wanna fight? Kind of hypocritical of you, Lu?”

“Hippo political?” Luffy says, tilting his head in a way reminiscent of a confused dog.

“ Hypocritical . It means when you tell someone not to do something and that it's bad, but then decide to do it yourself,” Ace explains, which just makes Luffy pout at him.

“It’s not hyp..hippo-whatever!” Luffy says, stamping his foot, “That was different! They thought you were bad when you weren’t bad. I wanna train! Different! I wanna get stronger, to be strong like you and Sabo and protect my crew!” 

Ace feels something twist painfully at his chest, staring at his little brother. Memories of Marineford linger in the back of his mind. Of his little brother busting into Impel Down to save him. Of him falling out of the sky at Marineford, ready to risk his life to save him. A part of him so desperately just wanted to squeeze him, and tell him he won’t ever have to worry about anyone hurting him or Sabo as long as he’s here to protect them.

The other part knows Luffy. He knows his little brother will always be diving headfirst into danger no matter what he does to try to keep him safe.

So he’ll do his part to make sure Luffy is strong enough for the Grand Line, and everything it has to throw at him.

“Alright, okay, you win, Lu,” he says, placing his hands on his knees. “I’ll fight you.”

“Yes!” Luffy shouts, springing back in excitement, pumping his fists in the air.

“You remember the ground rules for our spars, right?” Ace asks, pushing himself up to his feet. Luffy nods quickly.

“Good,” Ace says with a satisfied smile, which turns into a smirk as he stares down Luffy, “Come at me, then.”

The conversation the other night, despite Sabo’s best attempts not to think about it, had gotten under his skin, and he was left feeling kind of anxious. He wouldn’t admit that to Ace, though. He could tell his brother had been restless too. He grimaces, rubbing his arm at the memory. Yeah, he had the bruises to prove it.

He really hated fighting Ace when he got like that. Ace was already a tough opponent, but he always gets so much more vicious and mean when he’s upset.

Sabo was curious about the stranger. Sure, he and Ace had already made plans to follow him if they saw him again, but outside of wariness, there was just.. Well. Sabo didn’t know. For some reason, a part of him wasn’t convinced the guy was a threat.

The first thing Sabo would have to do, though, before they could start their investigation, is figure out where the guy set up camp.

I can look for his camp this morning, Sabo thinks, before Ace and Luffy wake up.

Ace wasn’t very good at being subtle when he was upset. If he tried to ditch Ace later today, he knows Ace is going to chew him out with how high strung he is right now. Better to do some reconnaissance before the sun fully rises.

As quietly as he can, he slips out of the blanket pile. He spares a long glance at Ace and Luffy to make sure they’re still asleep, before very carefully making his way over to the trap door.

It seems to want to foil his plans as it loudly creaks when he lifts it up.

It was a small sound, but in the silence of the treehouse, it felt like dropping a bomb. He glances up fearfully to where Ace and Luffy are.

Neither of them stirs. Luffy lets out a loud snore.

He lets out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, and slowly makes his way outside. He carefully starts moving in the direction he’d last seen the stranger go last night, keeping an eye peeled for any disturbance of dirt or foliage to indicate which direction he’d gone after Sabo lost sight of him.

Tracking people after more than a couple of hours had passed could be tricky, but not impossible. It helped that Sabo was pretty sure he’d seen the distant rise of smoke from a campfire last night. He wonders if Ace had noticed it too.

The good news is that it doesn’t take him super long to find the campsite. The bad news? t’s actually.. Concerningly close to the treehouse.

More bad news, the campsite was empty.

Or maybe that was good news. At least he knew now where the guy was staying. Confirmation he’d stuck around instead of… running off to Bluejam or something. Sabo isn’t sure what he had been expecting.

The guy sticking around close by wasn’t exactly comforting either, though.

It was a paradox. Neither option was good.

Sabo contemplates just calling it a day and going back to the treehouse. He found what he was looking for.

… But then, wouldn’t it be a good idea to at least confirm it’s Not-Ace?

Against his better judgment, he decides to follow the trail. The stranger hadn’t done a very good job of covering his tracks, which kind of surprised Sabo. He would have thought a guy like that would be more observant and cautious.

.. Actually, never mind. From what little Sabo had seen of him the day before, the guy seemed to just not think like a normal person.

Sabo follows the trail until he reaches a field. As soon as he steps out from the bushes, he immediately shrinks back into the safety of the forest.

The guy was sitting crouched towards the center of the field. He seemed to be occupied with something, his back turned to him.

Sabo crouches behind the bush, heart thumping in his chest. Okay, calm down. This wasn’t any different from stalking a wild animal or staying hidden from Bluejam’s men. He’s done this before.

He really should leave. He found where the guy’s campsite was, like he wanted to do. If he stayed here too long, Ace would get suspicious-

“Hey Sabo, whatchu doin’?”

Sabo doesn’t scream. That’d be an amateur move. He does, however, violently flinch, whipping around, only to come face to face with Luffy, who is staring at him with big, innocent, painfully oblivious eyes.

He instinctively slams a hand over Luffy’s mouth, “SH!” he whisper-hisses at Luffy. Luffy, being the stubborn little kid he is, immediately tries to lick his hand, so Sabo pulls back and grabs Luffy by the shirt, pulling him down into a crouch next to him.

“Be quiet ,” Sabo says, quietly yet forcefully as he can. He keeps sparing glances through the foliage to make sure Not-Ace hasn’t noticed them yet, “Luffy, what are you doing here? Is Ace with you?”

Sabo really hopes not. He doesn’t want an earful right now.

“Nope!” Luffy says, way too loud for Sabo’s liking, “I saw Sabo sneaking, so I snuck out too!”

Of course he did, because things could never be easy for Sabo.

“Right, whatever, just. Stay low. The guy from yesterday is over there and-” Sabo starts to say, but he doesn’t get to finish whatever he was saying because as soon as Luffy’s head snaps towards Not-Ace, he immediately bolts out of Sabo’s grip.

Sabo tries to pull Luffy back, but his gut reaction fails to catch up with his brain and remind him that Luffy is rubber. So when he pulls, Luffy just stretches and goes stumbling out into the open.

Causing the stranger’s gaze to snap towards Luffy immediately. Fuck.

Luffy exploits Sabo’s momentary shock to wriggle his wrists out of his grip and just starts barreling towards the stranger, totally unbothered.

Sabo barely has time to shout after him before Luffy jumps at the stranger, squeezing him in a hug. The stranger…. Hardly seems surprised, having easily adjusted his position to accommodate Luffy throwing himself at him.

…Sabo really doesn’t like how quickly Not-Ace responded to that. Did he know they were here?

“Oh, hey Luffy, what are you doing here?” Sabo hears Not-Ace ask.

Sabo feels his heart rate speed up as he keeps himself in a crouch, cursing silently. Damn it Luffy! 

“Big Ace, fight me!” He says instead.

Sabo is on edge. He still doesn’t know what this stranger’s intentions are, and he has no idea what will happen if he fights Luffy. So he keeps himself low and out of sight, in case he has to ambush the guy to protect his brother.

What follows is a surprisingly light-hearted “duel”, if you can even call it that. Luffy comes out swinging, tossing his fists at the stranger. The stranger easily dodges, and the fist goes ricocheting off a tree, nearly bouncing back and smacking Luffy in the face.

The stranger, interestingly, doesn’t take this opportunity to attack. Instead, he crouches down to be eye level with Luffy, “Lu, if you just toss your arm like it's a rope, you’re not gonna have any control over it. Try thinking of it more like a spring.

“A spring?” Luffy questions, already having reeled his arm back in preparation to throw another punch.

“Mhmm, see, watch me,” Not-Ace says, raising his fist. Luffy copies him as he reels his fist back. “When you throw your punch, make sure to imagine what you want to be doing, and do it with intent.” Then, he throws a punch, aimed at the trunk of a tree. There’s a deafening crack as the tree splits in half. Sabo’s eyes grow wider in shock as the tree slowly starts to fall over, collapsing with a loud whooosh! He hasn’t seen someone throw a punch like that since Gramps.

Luffy is watching with big, wide eyes before he tries throwing his own punch. It isn’t nearly as strong as Not-Ace’s, but it doesn’t look as weak and haphazard as his punches usually are. He actually manages to pull it back this time.

“Wow! It didn’t fly everywhere!” Luffy says, amazed, before focusing back in on Not-Ace, “Alright, Big Ace I’m gonna beat you now!”

“I’d like to see you try,” Not-Ace fires back, grinning playfully.

The two then begin tussling again. It’s still fairly one-sided, though Luffy does seem to be taking the guy’s advice to heart to the best of his ability. Briefly, Sabo feels his heartbeat pick up again when Not-Ace lunges forward and grabs Luffy, but all the guy does is pull Luffy into a bear hug, the two of them rolling on the ground. 

All in all, the fight isn’t that quick, and honestly, the guy was a lot gentler with Luffy than Ace ever usually is. Luffy isn’t even bruised! Ace isn’t really any good at pulling his punches. 

By the time the two of them are done, Luffy collapses in the grass, panting with exhaustion. Poor idiot overdid it. Not-Ace crouches down next to him, “You okay, Lu?” He asks. 

“Big Ace is.. Huff… strong,” He says between breaths, then he adds, “And you punch like Gramps.” 

“Oh, c’mon, I didn’t hit you that hard,” Not-Ace says, patting Luffy on the head.

He isn’t wrong, Sabo notes. If this had been a spar with Gramps, he probably would have punched Luffy through several trees by now. Luffy was tired, but that was more because he wasted too much stamina.

“How’d Big Ace get so strong?” Luffy asks, pushing himself to his knees. “Did you fight lots of guys?”

“Yep. Lots of guys and big monsters,” Not-Ace affirms, leaning back to sit in the grass next to him.

Luffy plops down on top of Not-Ace’s lap, “Woah, what kinda monsters? Did you ever have to fight a really big crab?” he asks, eyes wide.

“Why a crab, specifically?” Not-Ace asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“Like, the size of a city! Or a giant whale!”

“Well, I didn’t have to fight the whale, but I did run into a giant city-sized whale.”

“Why didn’t you fight the whale? Was he too powerful?”

“No, the whale was just minding his own business. He was a civilian whale.”

“Whales can be normal people?”

“Well, that whale was!”

Something about the conversation is so… extraordinarily mundane. Sabo finds himself relaxing as he listens to the two of them talk. The way Not-Ace talks just feels so.. Natural. It doesn’t sound like someone trying to deceive them would talk.

“Oh hey, Sabo!” Sabo freezes when he hears Luffy shout his name, peeking out from the bushes, “Come fight with us!”

So much for the element of surprise. Though, based on the lopsided smile Not-Ace is giving him, he's not sure he had that to begin with.

“.. How long did you know we… Well, I was there?” Sabo wastes no time asking.

“Do you want the comforting answer or the honest answer?”

“Why aren’t those the same thing?” Sabo asks with a hiss.

“I take it that means you want the honest answer,” Not-Ace responds with a chuckle, “I knew you were there the whole time.”

Then, as an afterthought, he adds, “You’ve always been better at sneaking than Lu is, though. I’m sure if he hadn’t followed, it might have taken longer before I noticed.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Sabo responds flatly, crossing his arms.

Not-Ace just laughs, “I think it’s called giving encouragement.”

“Sabo! Sabo! You should spar with Big Ace!” Luffy shouts, scrambling off of Not-Ace and bolting over to his side.

“We fought the other day,” Sabo remarks, casting a sideway glance at Luffy.

Not-Ace laughs, and for some reason, it sounds a little…  uncertain to Sabo. “Yeah, Luf, we fought already. Hey, I have an idea. You wanted to go exploring together, right?”

“Yes!”

“Then, how about we go spend some time by Rattlesnake Rock?” Not-Ace suggests, grinning with what Sabo might assume is mischief, “Go catch some snakes? Huh?”

“Wait a minute-” Sabo starts, raising his hands, “We're not just gonna follow a stranger into the woods.”

“But I’m not a stranger,” Not-Ace says, tilting his head in a way that comes off annoyingly innocent.

“Yeah, and I wanna go look for snakes!” Luffy protests.

“Luffy…” Sabo groans, rubbing his face. He looks sternly at Not-Ace, who is just sitting there with a curious look on his face, “I already told you I don’t trust you. Why would we follow you when you could be leading us into a trap?”

“Well, I’m not making you do anything,” Not-Ace remarks, “You guys could pick something else to do if you wanted.”

“I wanna go catch snakes!” Luffy stubbornly insists.

“We shouldn’t get too far from the treehouse…” Sabo tries, feeling like he’s losing an argument.

“Rattlesnake rock isn’t that far from the treehouse,” Not-Ace offers, “I think it’s about as far from the treehouse as this meadow is-”

It seems like Luffy’s patience has run out by now, however, as he suddenly takes off in the direction of Rattlesnake Rock. “Race ya!” He shouts.

“Luffy!” Sabo shouts after him.

“Welp, guess that’s our cue then, huh?” Not-Ace says, getting to his feet.

Sabo looks over at him in annoyance, “Fine, I’ll come with you, but you’re leading.”

“Sure!” The guy says, not sounding bothered by Sabo’s wariness at all.

What follows is a very tense walk to Rattlesnake Rock, Luffy happily humming while they trek through the forest. Sabo lags behind them, keeping a careful eye on the older doppelganger, gripping his pipe in case he has to act suddenly. 

He hadn’t anticipated actually being seen when he came here, so he’s feeling a bit like a deer caught by lamplight. 

This walk feels longer than it’s s’posed to be… Sabo thinks as he tries to keep himself calm and collected, keeping his eyes on Not-Ace’s back as they walk. 

Actually, it’s starting to become kind of annoying to mentally call him Not-Ace. “Hey, what should I call you, anyway?” Sabo asks, feeling slightly belligerent.

“Well, you could call me by my name,” Not-Ace supplies.

“I’m not doing that,” Sabo says, a bit of stubbornness in his voice. “Besides, Luffy was right. Even if you are telling the truth, we can’t have two Aces.”

“I’m gonna call him Bace!” Luffy says.

Not-Ace makes a kind of wheezing noise, giving Luffy a look, “How’d you come up with that?”

“Big and Ace make Bace!”

“Maybe I’ll start calling you that too,” Sabo says, unable to help the smirk on his face when he receives a look of annoyance from Not-Ace.

“If you’re gonna call me something that isn’t Ace, use Portgas instead. Or I guess you could use Fire Fist. That’s my pirate nickname.”

Hmm, so he knew Ace’s last name, too? “You seem to know a lot about Ace.” Sabo remarks.

“Well, we’re the same person so I would hope so.”

“... Do you also know where we hid our treasure?”

“Oh! I know that one!” Luffy says, pausing in his march and waving to Sabo. 

“I’m not asking you!” Sabo shoots back.

Portgas, as Sabo has decided to mentally dub him, keeps walking, scooping Luffy up into his arms and hoisting him up on his shoulders. Luffy giggles at this, wriggling around in Portgas’s grip. “C’mon ‘Bo, let him answer! He actually does know this one!” He says in amusement while Luffy looks down from Portgas’s shoulder at Sabo, grinning widely.

“Yeah! It’s hidden under the old-”

“Luffy!” 

Rattlesnake Rock was another name for a big pile of boulders that had formed from a collapsing hillside. They were scattered on top of each other, tumbling down the hill’s surface and leading into a small stream next to a sunny clearing.

In other words, it was a great spot for snake hunting.

“Alright! Before we get started: Luf, do you remember which snakes to avoid?" Portgas asks, crossing his arms.

“The ones with the triangle heads, they are mean,” Luffy says, nodding.

“They’re venomous,” Sabo supplies, moving to stand beside him, “And you’ll die.”

“Good! Also, avoid the really brightly colored ones,” Portgas says, “Unless you’re with ‘Bo or me and we can identify it. ‘Bo is better with specifics like that than I am.”

Sabo feels himself blush with embarrassment, not expecting the compliment. “I’ve just read some field books about that kinda stuff…” He says, trying to deflect.

“See? Knows stuff.”

Sabo watches as Portgas walks over to one of the larger boulders near the base of the hill. He gestures for Sabo and Luffy to follow.

“Here, how about I start us off?” Portgas says. Sabo’s eyes widen as he watches Portgas lift the rock. It’s a bit… daunting, seeing a man pick up what must be a boulder weighing at least a ton like it was a pebble.

Underneath the rock, a few keelbacks lift their heads in alarm, slithering to hide in the crevices of other rocks. Luffy lunges forward, grabbing one by the tail. It immediately reels around and bites him, making him shriek.

“Stupid snake!” Luffy snaps, biting the creature back on its tail.

Portgas laughs as the snake bites Luffy again which causes him to yelp and drop it. “Luffy, watch, you gotta catch ‘em like this-”

He sets the boulder down, crouching down low to the ground. As soon as one of the snakes gets within striking range, Portgas snaps forward, pinning the snake by the back of the neck. It hisses its protest, wrapping its tail around Ace’s wrist and arm, but it can’t maneuver itself out of his grip.

“See? No biting!” Portgas says, holding the snake up. It wiggles around in his grip, its expression looking very offended for a snake.

Luffy tilts his head, regarding the snake, before he crouches down while approaching the rocks. One of the keelback snakes slithered between the cracks of two of the boulders. It rattles the tip of its tail at him in a way reminiscent of a rattlesnake.

When he goes to lift the rock, the snake bolts away. Luffy lunges forward, this time grabbing the snake behind the head. It opens its mouth, but can’t strike due to Luffy’s grip, so it just ends up coiling its tail around his arms.

Luffy holds up the snake triumphantly, grinning. “It’s so cool!” He says excitedly, “Sabo look!”

Sabo watches Luffy with a small smile, feeling a bit… torn. He still feels a bit cautious and mostly confused about this older Ace.

But… he also wants to look for snakes and critters. It looked fun, damn it.

Luffy sets the snake down. “I’m gonna go find more!” He shouts, dashing out towards the rocks. Portgas follows him, calling after Luffy to be careful not to slip and fall on any of the rocks. Sabo trails behind them, feeling a little out of place.

He really doesn’t know what to think about Portgas. Is he good? Is he bad? Sabo isn’t sure. There was also something odd about them coming over her to Rattlesnake Rock, too. Had Portgas deliberately been trying to redirect him? He’d gotten all weird at the prospect of fighting Sabo again.

Sabo crouches down by a rock, glancing underneath it. No snakes, just some centipedes and a few newts. The skitter away at the movement, and Sabo sighs, placing the rock back down. He glances back over at Portgas.

There was one other question Sabo had in regards to all the stuff he’d brought up yesterday.

“Hey, Portgas?”

“Yeah, ‘Bo?”

“You mentioned you died, right?” Portgas freezes, nodding slowly, “Why do you think that, anyway?”

Portgas pauses, slowly lowering the rock he’d been lifting above his head, “I don’t think the answer to that question would be very interesting to you,” he says. Again, trying to avoid the question.

Sabo opens his mouth, trying to protest, but then he sees Luffy stop looking under rocks, jerking his head up to look at Portgas with big, wide eyes. “Bace, did you really die?” Luffy asks quietly, little hands trembling.

“I mean, I think-” Portgas starts, but then Luffy’s lower lip starts to wobble. Oh no, he’s started crying. Maybe this was a bad question to ask while Luffy was around, Sabo thinks with a wince as he watches Luffy get up from what he was doing and rush over to Portgas, enveloping him in a tight hug.

“Hey- Lu, it’s fine, it’s not like it’s your fault,” Portgas says, looking a bit awkward and out of his depth. Much like the real Ace, he seemed thrown for a loop and not sure how to deal with Luffy when he started crying. Usually, Ace’s response to Luffy crying involved hitting him until he stopped.

“Bace! Promise you won’t die again!” 

Portgas looks down at him, looking conflicted. “Lu’... I dunno if I can make that promise a second time. I already broke it once.”

Luffy, stubbornly, squeezes Portgas tighter. He’s still crying, but he’s got a more determined expression on his face now.

“I won’t let go until you say it!”

Portgas takes a deep breath, and lets out a long sigh. “I’m not going to make any promises right now…” he says slowly. Luffy looks like he’s going to start crying again, so he quickly adds, “But.. I’ll try my best not to die again.” 

Luffy rubs furiously at his face, wiping the tears away, as he nods, “Good! I’m gonna go catch snakes for Bace now!” He then bolts back off.

Sabo relaxes as he watches him run off. Well, at least he’d calmed down quickly enough. He is still kind of curious about why Portgas seems so convinced he’s dead, but… maybe he can wait to pester him about that until later. Preferably when Luffy wasn’t here.

Sabo moves to follow Luffy, casting a sideways glance at Portgas. That display had made him wonder, though. Why did Luffy seem so convinced this was Ace? Was there something Sabo was missing, or was Luffy just gullible?

Maybe the answer to both of those was the same.

Sabo certainly felt like he was missing something.

As he began to step over the rocks, following after Luffy to make sure he didn’t hurt himself, he startled a bit when he noticed some movement by his feet.         

He stopped, crouching down to get a better look. The crevices in between the rocks were too dark to get a good look, though…

Carefully, he placed his hands by the edges of the rock, trying to lift it quickly so he didn’t get bitten by whatever he’d seen move.

Something small and slender shot out from underneath the rocks. Reflexively, Sabo shot out, grabbing the snake behind the head and scraping his knee on the rocks. The snake wriggled in his grip, trying to break free, mouth open and poised to strike.

He picked it up, holding it closer to examine it. The snake couldn’t be much bigger than a foot and a half in length. It was green, with a yellow belly. It flicked its tongue at him with an expression that could almost be mistaken for annoyance.

“Oh, nice! Did you catch something?” Portgas asks, startling Sabo.

This also catches Luffy’s attention. "Oh, oh, let me see!” He shouted, scrambling over to where Sabo was. He nearly barrels into him, stopping just short and crouching down next to him.

“What kinda snake is it?” Portgas asks, joining the two of them.

“Uh… I think it’s a crowned ground snake,” Sabo says, hesitantly. The snake has calmed down enough that he can let go of its head, and now it's just sitting coiled up around his arm. Luffy reaches out to pet it, and it rears its head back, flicking its tongue as a warning.

“Huh, nice catch, Bo!” Portgas praises, patting Sabo on the back. “See? I told you you were good at identifying stuff!”

Sabo jerks away, averting his gaze self-consciously, and muttering under his breath, “It's a pretty common snake…”

“Still! It’s cool, isn’t it?” Portgas says, cheerfully. He pushes himself to his feet, “Think you can top it?”

Sabo glances at the snake in his hands, setting it down to let it go. It disappears back into the space between the rocks. He then glances up, seeing Luffy happily jumping across the rocks, getting excited each time he picks one up.

He returns Portgas’s stare. He still isn’t sure he trusts him.. But, well.

“I could definitely do better than you ,” he says, a challenging, albeit hesitant, smirk on his face. Portgas’s eyes light up, and he grins wider.

Maybe… there wouldn't be any harm in sticking around. Just for a little while longer.

Sabo isn’t sure how much time they spend at Rattlesnake Rock. One second, he’s racing after Luffy and Portgas, and the next, he is noticing how high the sun has risen in the sky. The realization sends a jolt of panic up his spine.

“Shit!” Sabo shouts, reaching out to grab Luffy by the wrist, “We have to go!”

“Ehhh! But Saboooo, I wanna hang out with Bace more!” Luffy whines.

Sabo ignores him, pulling Luffy along, “Well Ace is going to be pissed if we don’t get back to the treehouse! Do you want him to hit you again?”

Luffy’s eyes go wide, obviously having not considered that, and he quickly covers his head with his free hand.

Behind them, Portgas chuckles, “Man, did you two sneak out? Oh boy, little me isn’t going to be happy about that.”

“You’re not helping!” Sabo shouts, shooting him a glare. He then reaches out and grabs Luffy by the wrist.

"Bye Bace! Cya later!" Luffy calls out as Sabo begins dragging him back toward the forest. 

They walk for a little while, Sabo only stopping once they're out of sight of Portgas. “Luffy, listen to me,” Sabo says, turning around and placing both his hands on Luffy’s shoulders as he looks him in the eyes, “You cannot tell Ace we were here. He’s gonna get, like, super mad. Promise me you won’t say anything.”

“Mmm… okay, I promise!”

“Luffy, I’m serious! I don’t want a repeat of when you found out about Roger!” 

“What about Roger?”

“You told Ace that you found out Roger was his dad after I explicitly told you not to.”

“Oh yeah… It’s still pretty cool Roger is Ace’s dad, right, 'Bo?”

Sabo chops Luffy on the head, making him wince and shrink back, “You’re missing the point! Just-” Sabo takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. Trying to get Luffy to listen was probably a lesson in frustration. It'd be easier to try to distract him enough that he didn't think to mention what they'd been doing.

Actually… that gave him an idea.

“Hey Luffy,” he starts slowly, casting a glance at him, “How do you feel about setting up some traps?”

Chapter Text

Ace waits until Sabo and Luffy are out of view before he finally lets himself relax. He falls to one knee, body involuntarily shaking as he takes deep breaths. The spar with Luffy had left him... Uncomfortably winded. His chest hurt worse than it did this morning. 

Even just exploring the rocks had left him in more pain than he’d care to admit.

He sighs, pulling out the poppy seeds from earlier and popping a few in his mouth. They weren’t very potent like this, but hey, it was better than nothing.

Eating the seeds, though, had the unintended consequence of reminding his body that he hadn’t eaten anything since last night. Unfortunately for him, the thought of eating also isn’t very appealing right now.

Never had to deal with a problem like this before… Ace thinks, grimacing. How was he supposed to deal with nausea? He, Luffy, and Sabo had certainly never had trouble eating before…Hmmm…Hadn’t Deuce mentioned something to him about bread being good for nausea when Saber and Finamore got food poisoning? That sounded like it could be right…

As for the pain, while he didn't know how to make opium from the poppies, that was more Marco's territory, he did know that making tea out of the seeds could help make them a bit more potent painkillers...

His eyes trailed towards the forest. There was one place he could think of that would be good to visit for that.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to pay Dadan a visit. If Sabo and Luffy were here, she’d probably be here too.

Though… she probably wouldn’t appreciate him showing up empty-handed.

Lucky for him, there was an easy solution to that.

Ace slammed on the door of the bandit hut, “Hey, Dadan you home?” he shouted, putting his weight on one foot as he fought the urge to just bust the thing down.

The fact that the cabin was here was a good sign. It looked just like Ace remembered it ten years ago, which was to say much the same. Dilapidated and weather-worn paint peeling off, with weeds growing in between the cracks.

Ace glanced inside one of the windows, frowning when he saw movement.

“Hey!” Ace shouted, waving, “I see you guys in there, I know you can hear me!”

More rustling, accompanied by startled shouts and crashing of what Ace assumed were chairs. Or maybe the bandits had knocked over one of Dadan’s vases. They’d be in serious shit if they’d done that, he thinks, bemused as he rocks on the back of his heels.

Ace’s patience has almost dried up, though, and he’s just about to bust the door down, but before he can do that, Magra swings it open. He looks a little affronted, but mostly confused.

“Uh, can we help you?” he asked. Behind him, Ace notices some of the bandits have taken up defensive positions.

Ace leans on the door frame, ignoring the way Magra flinches away in surprise, “Yeah, is Dadan home? I wanted to talk to her.”

“What do you want with the boss?” Dogra asked, leering up at him from where he was standing behind Magra.

“Can’t a guy just say hi?” Ace asked, raising an eyebrow. Much like Sabo, the bandits weren’t acting like they recognized him. They seemed pretty on guard. Maybe it was a good idea that he hadn’t just burst in through the front door.

“This guy lost?” Someone sneered from the back.

“We should show him what happens to folks who get lost up in the mountains!”

“Quiet, you leeches! He knows the boss’s name!” Dogra hissed back at them.

Ace rolled his eyes, unable to suppress a laugh. He couldn’t help it. It was kind of hilarious if they thought they could cause trouble for him .

But he hadn’t come here for a fight, as entertaining as that might be. Fighting would probably just create an even more uneasy energy, which would honestly just feel weird. He grew up with these people after all. 

Instead, he just offered a lopsided smile and gestured behind him, “Well, if you attacked me, you wouldn’t get any of this nice juicy boar I brought y’all as a gift.”

The bandits all squint at him, following the direction he’s pointing. When they spot the boar, Magra covers his mouth in shock, the rest of the bandits’ eyes practically bugging out of their heads.

“That thing’s huge!”

“Is this guy another demon?”

Many of the bandits hesitantly begin to make their way outside, some of them clutching weapons as they cast wary glances at Ace and whisper among each other. Dogra pokes the boar, flinching away almost as soon as he does, as if expecting it to suddenly come to life and kill all of them.

Not giving the distracted bandits much of a second glance, Ace decides he could try his luck checking Dadan’s room.

He loops around the back, cupping his hands over his eyes as he presses his face up against the glass to try to peer inside.

Not seeing anything, he decides to take a more direct approach.

“Hey Dadan, you here?” Ace shouts as he slams the window to her room open and sticks his head inside.

Her room was empty. 

Ace crossed his arms as he looked around. Yeah, no Dadan. He clicks his tongue as he pushes himself up over the windowsill and lands inside.

Oh well. He could probably see her later. With how much commotion he’s causing right now, he’s sure the bandits will mention him. Dadan will probably want to yell at him for getting her crew all riled up. Hopefully, the boar will make up for that.

… And also make up for the rice and bread he’s about to steal.

Well, it’s not really stealing if he gave them food. It’s bartering! But without any discussion of payment. That boar was worth way more than rice and bread anyway, so if anything, the bandits owe him .

The inside of the house hasn’t changed much, which made finding the kitchen easy.

Ace scours through the cupboards, smirking when he finds what he’s looking for. He’s sure to grab a few pots for boiling water to be safe. He needed something to make tea with, after all.

Of course, he did know how to boil water without a pot. He and Deuce had learned that while on Sixis! But a pot just made things easier.

Ace paused in his sifting through the cabinet when he heard some more shouting, followed by the rapid sound of footsteps. He turned to see Magra staring at him, slightly out of breath, looking even more shocked than when he’d answered the door.

“What are you doing?!” He shouted.

“Compensation,” Ace said cheekily as he shoved a bag of rice under his arm. 

Ace doesn’t give the gobsmacked bandits time to say anything beyond incoherent stuttering, as he bustles out the door, tipping his hat to them, “I’d love to stay and chat, but I’ve got things to do! Tell Dadan I said hi!”

And then he vaulted right back out the window, ignoring the shouts that followed after him.

As fun as pulling a dine and dash on his own home was, part of him did regret leaving so early. It had been nice seeing them all again, but something about the way none of them recognized him when he’d known them his whole life just felt… uncanny.

Plus, honestly, he just didn’t want to be around the smell of cooked meat right now while he was trying remedies for his nausea. His impulse control was not that good.

Oh well. He’d probably go back there later. At some point. Probably.

Though he isn’t sure how he’d feel about Dadan not recognizing him either. 

Another thing to worry about later, maybe. What he was going to focus on was making this tea and cooking food. Gods above, he really hoped this stuff stayed down. He was starving .

As he began to get the campsite ready to boil the water, his mind began to wander. Mostly, thinking about everything that had happened so far.

Was he really dead? Or was he in the past? Maybe it didn’t really matter either way. He was here now, and all that mattered was just existing, he guessed.

He wondered how his crew was doing, and immediately grimaced. 

Was Pops okay? Marco? Was Oars Jr alive? Were the Spades, or anyone from the 2nd division? The battle had been chaotic. He’d seen the fighting, but there had been so much blood and smoke obscuring his vision that he could hardly keep track of anyone through it all.

He gritted his teeth and ran a hand over his face. Why… Why had Pops risked everything like that for him?

Even still... Ace had admitted to himself during all that… he didn’t really want to die. That all didn’t really matter, though. Because he’d made his bed and he had to lie in it.

It was all his fault, Marineford. All because he was too prideful and stubborn to-

Ace’s eyes went wide as sharp, hot pain shot through his hand. Fuck! He swore, shaking his hand out at the burning sensation and licking his finger to put the flame out on instinct. As he was nursing his wound, his brain caught up with him, pulling his finger out and staring at it with wide eyes.

Had he just… burned himself?

That shouldn’t be possible. He’s never burned himself before, not since getting his fruit. He was fire, it shouldn’t be possible for him to burn.

Well… Akainu had proved that to be untrue.

But this was his own fire!

He took a steadying breath and slowly lit his hand on fire again, just the fingertip. It burned like a lighter, and at first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then Ace noticed the tingling sensation in his fingers, and the way the heat seemed to prick at his skin in a way it never had before.

He let the fire go out with a frustrated groan. Great, was his body just bound and determined to betray him right now? Whatever, maybe he was just tired. He hadn’t slept very well last night. Plus, he’d been feeling achy and terrible since he got here; that’s what the opium poppy was for. Maybe after he finished making this tea, he’d feel better.

He couldn’t stand thinking about his crew right now. Everything made him feel too awful. So as he watched the water boil, he tried to think of something he could control right now.

More than anything, all he could think about right now was Sabo and Luffy. Leaving them behind had been just as painful as his physical injuries, if not worse. He knew that none of this was probably real, but that didn’t do anything to lessen his anxiety about Sabo getting hurt .

As he stares at the sky, trying to think of what he should do right now, a thought occurs to him.

Well, maybe his kid self didn’t want to see him, but he hadn’t said anything about not following them.

Finding his brothers didn’t take too long. 

Oh, they were good at covering their tracks, sure. But they were also his brothers, and more importantly, one of them was him , so he knew how to follow their trail.

He peered between the trees towards the clearing the three boys had found themselves in.

It looked like they were executing their plan against another forest beast. Ace smiles as he leans against the tree he’s positioned himself in, placing his elbows on the branches.

It’s reassuring as much as it is nerve-wracking, watching those kids fight that big beast. The way they swerved between its legs, one of them distracting it while the others snared it in a trap. It was a tough fight, but they seemed to be handling themselves well enough.

Of course, if the massive bear had actually managed to put them in danger, Ace would have intervened, but it seemed his worry had been unfounded. Those kids could handle themselves when it came to the forest.

Though he had had a minor heart attack when Luffy had come inches from getting his face sliced off. Reckless little idiot, he had thought, trying to push down the instinctive urge to just bolt out and beat the creature to a pulp.

He visibly relaxed as he watched the kids finally take the bear down. He watched with fondness as Luffy raised his hands in celebration, whooping and cheering at their victory.

Yeah… the kids were fine. 

So why did he still feel like something bad was going to happen?

“Hey Ace, did you see what I did!” Luffy shouted as Ace bandaged the scratch on his arm. “I was like wooosh!”

They’d just returned from their fight with the bear lord, and although successful, it had been a close thing. They were exhausted.

“Yeah, amazing, you weren’t entirely useless,” Ace said with a snort, squeezing the gauze tighter as Luffy fidgeted. He gave him a sharp look, “Now quit squirming! Do you wanna reopen your wounds? Seriously…”

Sabo snorted, “Nice job, Lu. You’re improving.” It was honestly kind of impressive how well Luffy had internalized the advice Portgas had given him. Certainly took it to heart better than when Ace had reprimanded him last night.

“It probably would have gone even better if you two hadn’t run off this morning without me! ”

Yeah, there it was. Sabo groaned when Ace snapped, giving him a look. He’d practically ringed their necks when they finally went back to the treehouse, and had been in a grumpy mood even while fighting the bear. At least he'd taken his aggression out on that instead of them.

“I don’t get why you’re still upset about that,” Sabo says with a huff as he finishes wrapping his wounds, “we said sorry…”

“Yeah, well, sorry doesn’t cut it,” Ace responds brusquely, refusing to look at Sabo. Sabo frowns deeper and leans back. It’s not like he and Ace haven’t run off without each other before. They’ve both gone to the Grey Terminal alone in the past when it was just the two of them. Maybe it was because of Luffy? 

Or maybe Ace was still just angry about last night. Who knows.

Speaking of last night, Sabo had been doing some thinking. About Portgas, mostly. He wanted to learn more about him, find out how he knew what he knew. 

Was he really from the future? It seemed like such a far-fetched idea, and yet… something about Portgas just seemed familiar.

What else could he do? He’d tried talking to him. He couldn’t really discern if the guy was telling the truth or not. At the very least, he seemed to believe that he was telling the truth, and what was he supposed to make of that?

Hmm… actually. There was one lead he might be able to follow, but he’s not sure Ace would be happy about him running off again without telling him where he was going.

He knew Ace wasn’t going to like him snooping around after the guy by himself. He’d seen the way Ace had bristled and postured last night. Probably felt intimidated by the guy. 

“Hey Ace,” Sabo starts, as Ace finally finishes bandaging Luffy, who immediately squirms out of his grip, “I think I’m gonna go visit Dadan after this.”

Ace makes a face at him, “ Why?”

“I had a theory about that guy from yesterday.”

This makes Ace’s confusion turn into a scowl, “If you’re looking to ask the old hag about him, don’t bother. She’s not gonna know any more than me.”

“What, you know everything the bandits get up to?” Sabo asks, a hint of teasing in his voice.

“They’re a bunch of cowards is what they are,” Ace responds with a roll of his eyes, “They’d tell me all about all the scum to avoid around here. The old hag was the one to warn me about Bluejam before you and I ran into him.”

“Oh, so you knew we’d be in trouble if we stole that gold.”

“Shut up, like that’d stop us. Like I said, I’m not a coward. And don’t act like you didn’t want to.”

“Yeah, yeah, ok, I get it. So the bandits know stuff about the pirates that live around here. That just means this guy is new to the island, and we already knew that, kinda.”

“Exactly, so why are you going to Dadan?” Ace asks, raising an eyebrow.

Sabo scratches the back of his neck, a bit sheepish, “Well… remember how he and I talked while you and Luffy were off getting the tiger? See… he mentioned his full name. It was Portgas, just like yours."

“Well, he already pretended to be me, so that’s not surprising,” Ace says bitterly, gripping his arms in annoyance.

“Yeah, but… what if he is actually related to you?” Sabo asks, raising an eyebrow. Ace gives him an unimpressed look.

“No way, we’ve been over this already!”

“No, we went over that he isn’t you, not that he isn’t related to you!”

“That’s basically the same thing!”

“Hey!” Luffy interjects, sitting up, “You know what I think?”

Both boys turned to look at him, and Luffy grinned bigger, “I think Ace and Sabo are both being stupid!”

“Hey!” Ace reached forward to grab Luffy, but he scrambled out of the way before he could, sticking his tongue out at him.

“It’s true! Ace and Sabo are both scared of Bace even though he’s nice!”

“I’m not scared !” Ace snaps, getting up and chasing after Luffy, “Get back here!”

Sabo watches as Ace chases Luffy, who ducks behind him to avoid getting hit. “Hey, don’t use me as a shield!” Sabo yelps, ducking out of the way as Ace barrels around him. Luffy shrieks when Ace grabs him, and the two end up wrestling on the ground.

“Ow ow ow Ace let go!” Luffy whines, trying to smack Ace away.

“Ace, leave him alone, you just told him not to reopen his bandages,” Sabo interjects. 

Ace looks between Sabo and then back at Luffy with a scowl. “I’m not scared,” Ace says again as he drops Luffy.

“We just want to make sure we have all the information, Luff. We can’t just trust someone blindly.” Sabo adds.

Luffy crosses his arms, pouting. “But Bace is nice.. He gave us food!”

“That doesn’t really prove anything. He could be trying to trick us,” Ace argues.

“I think…. Ace and Sabo think too much about this.” Luffy says, earning him a glare from Ace.

Sabo tilts his head, sparing a glance at Ace before he turns back to Luffy, “Hey Luffy, do you think Ace and Bace look similar?”

“Huh? Yeah! Bace is just bigger.” 

Sabo turns back to Ace, grinning, “See?”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Ace insists stubbornly.

“Well, we won’t know if it means anything unless we check it out.” Sabo points out.

Silence. Ace looks like he wants to argue more, so Sabo quickly adds, “Besides, I thought you wanted to learn more about this guy. We don’t exactly have any leads, so we have to start somewhere.”

“We can do that just fine by following him,” Ace says. Then, a bit quieter, he adds, “Besides, if he’s related to him , I don’t care. Actually, that would just give me more of a reason to want nothing to do with him.”

“Well… he could be related to your mom.” Sabo offers.

Ace looks up, expression torn. Then he ‘tsks’ and looks away, “I doubt it…. But, fine. If it’ll make you feel better, we can go check this out, I guess. Why do you think the old hag would know about him anyway?”

“Well, I mean.. Isn’t she like… your mom?” Sabo asks, raising an eyebrow.

“What? No! Rouge was my mom! Dadan is like… Dadan!” He says, waving a hand.

“Did she take care of you from a baby?” Sabo asks, raising an eyebrow at Ace.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make her my mom!” Ace hisses, glowering at him. 

“Okay, sure, but she still raised you. Soooo she probably knows about your biological family.” Sabo says, shrugging. If he’s being honest, though… Gramps would probably know more about that than Dadan. But Gramps was the last person Sabo wanted to try to contact now.

He shivers on instinct. He’d only had a few encounters with the man, but they’d been enough to strike fear into his heart. Sabo had decided that he really, really didn’t want Gramps finding out about this guy. Ace or not, the fact that he was a pirate was probably enough to cause problems.

“Ugh, fine, I guess you have a point.” Ace said, squinting at him, “Wipe that smug look off your face. I still don’t think she’ll know anything useful.”

Said smug look doesn’t leave his face as he turns to look over at Luffy, “Hey, Luff, you comin’ with us?”

Luffy lies on his stomach, kicking his legs while digging in the dirt, “Nah, I dun care about all that! Wait, can I go play with Bace while you guys are gone?”

“Absolutely not,” Ace seethes, kicking the dirt in Luffy’s face and making him recoil and cough. Ace turns back to Sabo with a scowl, “Guess we’ll have to bring him if we don’t want him running off.”

Sabo clicked his tongue, trying to think of a good strategy… “Hmmm, will you come with us if we make it a race?”

This gets Luffy’s attention. “A race?”

“Yeah. Last one to Dadan’s has to give half their food to the winner.”

“What!” This immediately gets Luffy scrambling out of the dirt and bolting off before Sabo and Ace can even blink.

Ace watches him go for a moment before turning to Sabo with an incredulous look. “How are you so good at that?” Ace asks in disbelief.

“It’s a talent,” Sabo says with a grin, “Now hurry up!”

They rush through the forest, ducking under branches and leaping over rocks. Sabo splashes through a creek, passing Luffy, who flashes the most shocked and annoyed look at him. Sabo just smirks and expertly slides down a hill as he gains the lead.

Sabo manages to reach the cabin first, despite Luffy getting the head start. Ace beats by just a few seconds, smirking as he skids across the grass, and Luffy comes scrambling after him. He’s breathing heavily, collapsing to his knees.

“Aw, no fair!” He wheezes in between pants.

“Better luck next time, Luff,” Ace says teasingly. 

The door of the cabin stands there imposingly, and Sabo is reminded as he turns to look at it that they had… kind of left without telling anyone. He takes a deep breath and knocks, steeling himself. He is fully expecting Dadan to yell at them as soon as she opens the door.

There’s a crash from behind the door, and the muffled sound of shouting. Sabo shifts his weight from foot to foot as he waits. He barely manages to restrain himself from jumping when Dadan slams the door open.

“Who the hell is-” She shouts, cutting herself off when her eyes fall on him and Ace.

“Where have you been?” She says, voice curt. Despite the coldness of her eyes, she isn’t… quite as angry as Sabo expected her to be.

“Hello to you, too,” Sabo says, while Ace interjects, “That’s none of your business.”

“Precocious little brats as always, aren’t you?” she mutters, grinding the cigarette in her teeth, “Who taught you to speak to your elders like that?”

“You did,” Ace says with a smirk.

Dadan gives him a dirty look, “Don’t get coy with me, boy. What the hell are you doing here anyway?” Her eyes narrowed somewhat, “You three only come around when you need something, so spit it out. What, someone dying?”

Sabo glares at her, trying to stamp down his own annoyance, “ Nobody is dying. We just had something we wanted to talk to you about.” he pauses, wondering how much he should reveal. He spares a glance at Ace, “It’s uh, related to Ace.”

He doesn’t like the way Dadan eyes him apprehensively. He watches as she takes a long drag on her cigarette, blowing out the smoke. Sabo wrinkles his nose. He’s never been a fan of that smell.

“And why can’t you ask him yourself?” She questions, raising an eyebrow while she gives Ace a look. “Hell if you ever tell me anything.”

“It’s… not a question I think he’d know,” Sabo answers. He refuses to look away from Dadan as she looks at him, even though being stared down by an adult makes Sabo.. less than comfortable. He digs his fingers into the palms of his hands and meets her stare with a glare.

Finally, Dadan steps aside, gesturing with a pointed thumb thrown backwards to signal the three of them to come in, “Fine. Stop standin’ around out there then and get your asses inside then, you're lettin’ all the bugs in.”

Sabo does as he’s told, quickly hurrying past Dadan, Ace, and Luffy, following in after him. He scrunches his face up once he’s inside. The smell of cigarette smoke is even worse inside.

Luffy doesn’t stick around, quickly running off to some corner of the house, nearly tripping some of the bandits in the process. They let out shouts as he runs past them, and Sabo almost pities them as he watches them chase after Luffy to keep him from getting into anything.

Dadan walks past him, pulling up a chair. “Alright, now what d'you wanna know? ”

“I was just…” he thoughtfully glances at the ceiling, wondering how much he should tell her.

He’s already decided he isn’t going to mention the guy claiming he’s Ace from the future. Okay, well, he never actually claimed he was from the future, but if he was Ace, that was the only explanation that made sense.

“You’re Ace’s….. guardian. Do you know if Ace has any other….. Family members?” Sabo asks slowly. “Like, biological ones, I mean.”

Dadan leans back with a bitter laugh, waving the cigarette between her forefinger and index, “What would I know about all that? If he did, you think Garp would have dumped you brats on me instead of makin’ it their problem?” 

“Hey, fuck you too!” Ace snaps at her, bristling. 

Sabo just sighs, frustration bubbling. “So you don’t know?” he demands.

Dadan takes another drag of the cigarette, letting out a puff of smoke, “Like I just said, I reckon if anyone knows it’d be Garp. He’s the one that brought that little hellspawn here.” She thoughtfully taps the cigarette on the corner of the ashtray. “Can’t really remember him mentioning anything like that. ‘Course, that man never tells me shit about anything.”

Sabo rubs his temples, trying not to be disappointed. He’d known coming here he might not get the answers he was looking for, but it didn’t make the fact he came all the way here for nothing any less… irritating.

“If you don’t know anything, then coming here was pointless,” Ace says, shoving off the chair and stomping away. “I’m gonna go get Luffy.”

“Tsk, disappear for weeks and you come back just to ask for shit? Is that how you repay me?” Dadan asks as he stalks off, chewing on the tip of her cigarette in annoyance. “Why you even askin’ about all that stuff?” Dadan asks Sabo, turning back to him and raising an eyebrow. The question hangs in the air while Sabo figures out how to word what he’s going to say.

Well, he came here to get information. Sabo knows Ace said she probably wouldn’t know anything, but even if Dadan doesn’t know anything about Ace’s family, she’s still a fairly well-established bandit. Maybe she could have learned something they didn’t know.

Plus, if Sabo was being honest, he just didn’t want to prove Ace right.

“There was… a guy,” Sabo starts slowly, rubbing his palms together, “Someone we had never seen before showed up to the tr…- showed up to where we’ve been living,” He doesn’t think Dadan knows where the treehouse is so he isn’t about to spill that particular secret, “He looked kinda like Ace, and knew some stuff about us that I didn’t think it was possible for him to know. Just… wondered if he could be related to him.”

There’s a long moment of silence, only disturbed by the slight hiss of the cigarette as Dadan puts it out in the ashtray. Dadan is staring at him intently now, making Sabo squirm uncomfortably. 

“Did he tell you anything else?” Dadan asks, rubbing her chin.

“Uh… hmmm… he said he was a pirate,” Sabo remarks. "With Whitebeard." He knows it’s risky to mention that, considering how much he’d overheard Gramps emphasize he doesn't want them hanging around pirates. That was the whole reason he'd brought Luffy to live out here, apparently. Though Dadan doesn't seem like the type to snitch.

Evidently, though, this was the wrong thing to say, as all at once, it feels like the room drops at least ten degrees. Dadan’s expression goes from cautious and thoughtful to downright terrified.

“Are you sure that’s what he said?” She demands, jumping up with enough force to knock her chair to the ground as she grips Sabo by the shoulders. It startles Sabo enough that he flinches, before he tries shoving Dadan away.

“Yes! Now let go!” he snaps, jabbing at her. She thankfully drops him, and he glares at her sharply while she is left staring at the floor with a look of utter horror. Sabo can only stare at her as she starts to pace, listening as she begins to mutter to herself.

“No, no, this is fine,” Dadan tells herself, running a hand through her hair, “Any idiot can claim themselves to be a part of his crew. Doesn’t make it true .”

Sabo honestly doesn’t think he can remember a time he’s seen Dadan this rattled. Well, aside from whenever Gramps shows up. Of course, that’s more a mix of fear and irritation. He knew the Whitebeards were a big deal, but still...

“For all our sakes, I hope that fool’s a sham,” She mutters.

“Is him being a Whitebeard really that bad?” Sabo asks, fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat.

“Of course it is! Don’t you know how terrifying the Whitebeards are?” Dadan shouts, waving a hand, “Not to mention the chaos that one being would cause around here. This place would be absolutely swarming with marines! I’d never hear the end of it from your Grandpa if he caught wind you’d been hanging out with one!”

“We aren’t ‘hanging out ’,” Sabo scoffs, offended by the casualness of that phrasing.

“Fortunately," Dadan continues with an exhausted sigh, ignoring him as she pulls the chair back up from the ground in order to slump down into it, “I doubt he’s the real deal. Honestly, from what I’ve heard, the Whitebeards never come around to the East. They really don’t leave the Grandline, so it’s easy for fools to skate by on name alone by pretending to be in cahoots with them. Marines don’t tend to mess with Whitebeard pirates.”

Well, Sabo had certainly learned something today. He wasn’t sure it made him feel any better about Portgas, though. This trip definitely hadn’t been good for his nerves. 

Frustratingly, after Dadan’s explanation, he was only left with more questions.

“So, you don’t know anyone like that around here?” He feels the need to clarify.

“No, kid, I don’t know of any idiot who’d be stupid enough to claim to be one of Whitebeard's on the Hero of the Marines home island,” Dadan says flatly.

Figures.

Moreover, as he thinks about it, he comes to the uncomfortable realization that Dadan is … probably wrong about him only using that crew’s name to make himself look good. Portgas is strong, and he remembers the way the guy had talked about his crew.

There’d been something about his voice that had just been so fond. No one trying to skate by on reputation alone would have described the crew of such an infamous pirate like that.

Sabo decided, based on the way Dadan had freaked out at the idea, he wasn’t going to tell her any of that, though.

Additionally, he mentally crossed out Bluejam. He might be a conniving dog, but Sabo knew better than to think the man was stupid. He wouldn’t risk using an infamous pirate’s name like that.

At least he didn’t think so. 

Well, at least he’d gotten something out of this trip, even if he wasn’t any closer to figuring out why this guy knew so much .

“How’s Ace doing, anyhow?” Dadan asks suddenly. Sabo blinks up at her. She seems to have gained some of her composure back, leaning back in the chair and staring at Sabo with an expression he can’t really decipher.

“He’s… fine?” Sabo says, a bit thrown by the question.

“Hmm, I somehow doubt that. What have you three been doing, getting the attention of these suspicious characters?” she says, voice thick with judgment.

“Wait, what’s that about suspicious characters?”

Sabo and Dadan look up to find Magra and Dogra standing in the doorway. Dogra is holding Luffy, who is currently trying to chew on him, while Ace is just standing to the side, looking annoyed.

“Eh, the brat wanted to know about Ace’s family. Apparently, some guy who looks like him showed up recently,” Dadan says, leaning back in her chair, “Guy even claimed to be a Whitebeard.”

Magra and Dogra share a look. Dadan notices and squints her eyes at them suspiciously, “You two don’t happen to know something, do you? ”

The two fidget, guilt obvious on their faces, “Uhm… well, boss, ya see… we uh. Might have encountered a guy early today. Here at the cabin. Who uh… did kiiinda look like Ace.” Dogra says, avoiding looking at her.

“You what.”

“Yeah, he uh. Was actually looking for you,” Magra admits, flinching when Dadan stands up.

“He what !?”

“He was here!?” Ace asks, stiffening. He already looks ready to charge out and fight that guy again.

“If it was the same guy, maybe!” Dogra yelps, hiding behind Magra as Dadan stomps over.

“And why, pray tell, didn’t you idiots tell me!” she snaps, looking ready to throttle them.

"Well uh, see, we were gonna tell you! It's just, he didn't cause a lot of problems, just took some of our pots and-"

"He stole our shit!?"

Sabo reaches forward, grabbing Luffy by the wrists and pulling him towards the door. He can tell Dadan is probably going to start asking them more questions, and Sabo doesn’t really wanna stick around to deal with that. Judging by the fact Ace is already bolting out the door, he doesn’t want to either.

Though that might just be because he’s planning to murder Portgas. Either option is possible.

“Thanks for answering our questions, okay bye!” Sabo shouts as he rushes out after him.

“You little- You can’t just drop something like this on me and then run off! Hey! Get back here you three!” 

“Thanks for the food!” Luffy shouts as they make a beeline for the forest. Sabo casts a glance over at Ace, who just shrugs. Sounds like Luffy got into the bandits’ food supply, poor bastards.

Once they’re a good enough distance away from the bandit’s hut to stop running, they stop to catch their breath. Ace looks pretty annoyed, "Damn it, why was that guy snoopin' around the bandits place?"

"I have no idea. Magra mentioned something about him stealing from them?"

"What a guy like that could get from the bandits, though..." Ace scoffs, kicking a rock in annoyance, "Damn it, now I just have more questions. This trip was a pain in the ass."

At least Luffy had gotten something out of this, which was ironic considering he hadn't wanted to come at all. Luffy trots behind them, humming, "The food was good! Even though the race was stupid."

"You're just mad because you lost," Sabo says, ruffling Luffy's hair. "Though I don't think it was a total waste. At least we know he probably isn't with Bluejam now. Or really anybody around here. Like Dadan said, you'd have to be stupid to pretend to be with Whitebeard."

Ace opens his mouth, closes it, and glares at the forest floor, “Damn it, I hate when you’re right.” He mutters.

Sabo would grin, except he doesn’t really feel any satisfaction from it. Because this just means they are back at square one. With a guy who is a mystery, who says weird things, and who seems to have an interest in them.

“You have any new ideas?” Sabo asks.

“Maybe the Whitebeards are here to kidnap us,” Ace says, rubbing his temples.

“Kidnap us? Why pretend to be you, then?”

“I don’t know Sabo!” Ace says in frustration, throwing his hands up, “Why does anybody do anything?"

"I'm gonna be captain of my own crew! I don't wanna go with anybody else!" Luffy argues, placing his hands on his hips.

"I don't think you'd get a choice if you were kidnapped, idiot." Ace scoffs, while Luffy frowns, as if that hadn't occurred to him.

"Well, then I'll just beat them up!"

"It wouldn't be that easy if it were Whitebeard!"

Sabo sighs. Really, his brain is too tired to deal with this right now.

When they finally reach the treehouse, Luffy practically collapses on the floor, yawning. It makes Sabo fight the urge to yawn as well. Today has been a long day. First, the visit to Portgas, then the fight with the bear, then the mad dash to Dadan’s place..

He plops down next to Luffy, who immediately cuddles up next to him. He glances up at Ace, who still looks high-strung.

“Wanna worry about it in the morning?” He asks, offering Ace a tentative smile and patting the floor next to him. Ace stares at him for a moment, body sagging, before he grabs a blanket and tosses it over the three of them. He flops down next to Sabo, his back turned to him.

Being here, curled up next to his brothers, he feels… safe. It’s almost enough to make him forget his worries about the mysterious stranger they’ve been dealing with. For now, he curls up next to Luffy and Ace, and lets himself succumb to sleep