PR3H1ST0R1CM@ST3R

Masterlists

➢ One Piece ⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ㅤ

➢ Pokémon ✿　.　˚　. 　 ˚　✿. (soon)

➢ Witch Hat Atelier · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · (soon)

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Rules

The obvious: be respectful! If you don't like something, please scroll and do not leave hate.

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS CRINGE. (This is a safe space)

I do not write: extremely problematic topics (incest/non-con/pedophilia).

I also don't write smut, but that's out of personal preference! No hate to anyone who does.

I do write: x reader, ships, SMAUs among other AUs, fluff, angst, suggestive... uhh what else... I'm fine with non-human ships as long as it passes the Harkness Test.

My asks are open, but I will warn that I'm a digital introvert so my responses may be very awkward ahahaha

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Eustass Kid

➥ ✧ Seven Minutes || WC: TBA

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Nami

➥ ✧ And they were roommates. . . || WC: TBA

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Sabo

➥ Two Birds || WC: ~18.5k ✓ ( part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 )

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Trafalgar Law

➥ ✧ Went Wrong Just Right || WC: TBA

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More will be added as I post! I might organise by crew IF it gets too crowded.

I shouldn't have...

You tried to think it. That you shouldn't have tried. But, for some reason, you didn't regret your choices. You would've regretted not trying at all. At least now you knew there was no hope for you making it out there.

But something flickered amongst the pieces of your shattered spirit. It wasn't over until it was over. But that energy, that burning drive, had dimmed. Maybe one day you could find your strength again. But not today.

Distracted, you glanced outside the window. Seeing a familiar head of blonde hair across the street made your heart drop.

You thought you'd gone mad—it couldn't be Sabo walking beside his father, heading back to their home—but that bruise on his cheek was far too real. So was the way he turned when you called out his name in confusion (and fear).

You'd sprinted out of your home.

"What are you doing here!?" You asked, out of breath as your personal guards followed suit. It was weird seeing him stand in front of you after all that time.

Sabo winced when he saw the bandages on you, but gave away nothing else on his feelings. "I'm staying."

"What?" You couldn't help but think the worst: something had happened to Ace and Luffy. But if that were the case, you'd see him in a far worse state.

"Don't worry." He smiled weakly. Gone was the happiness that radiated off of him when he was with his brothers. You hated it. "Everything's going to go back to the way it was."

Bullshit. You bit the word back, not believing him for one second.

A guard tugged on your arm, "You need to go back inside."

"But, tomorrow-" You glanced back at Sabo who was already being dragged away by his dad. You didn't get a chance to tell him about the fire. Did he already know!? "Just a little longer, let me talk to him!"

Sabo didn't turn back as you were dragged back inside.

He didn't last one night at home.

His father still treated him like he was a failure, despite being the one to force him back. Everything was 'normal'... except for the stranger he spotted clinging to his mother's side.

Apparently he'd been replaced? A younger boy named Sterry followed him around, making unnecessary comments here and there. If you found Sabo obnoxious to babysit, you'd hate this one. The memories made him smile more than the thought.

He did his best to ignore his 'brother' until he mentioned preparations for the upcoming arrival of some important people.

"What?" It had to be a joke.

"We were told months ago! But I guess you weren't here, ha- AH!" Sterry's soul left his body when Sabo grabbed him, demanding an explanation.

His face disgusted him, not a hint of empathy as he explained what the royal family had in store for the Grey Terminal.

Sabo didn't believe him.

There's no way anyone would agree to destroying a whole population of people—humans couldn't be that cruel... But he wasn't taking chances. He grabbed his coat, hat, and trusty pipe, and jumped out the window as if second nature while Sterry watched in horror.

He needed the truth, and he knew where he had to go to get it.

It was hard to sleep on a night like this, knowing same time tomorrow, everyone in the Grey Terminal would die.

The guard who watched over you from the corner yawned, leaving to get the other to take over for the night.

However, the moment he left, you heard the lock on your window rattle.

"Huh?" You rubbed your eyes, sitting up. You tried not to shout as you saw Sabo jump into your room. "You- What are you doing here?!" You whispered harshly, not knowing when the guard would return.

He set his rusted pipe onto the floor quietly. Just as you were about to step out of bed, he crashed into your arms, shaking. It had been too long... There was too much that needed to be said, and not enough time.

So, despite your shock, you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him back.

The message was clear: I missed you.

"Is it true? Tomorrow..." He whispered into your shoulder, not letting go for even a moment. "Is that why you looked so scared today?"

Guilt ate away at you. If you had made it out that night, you could've told him yourself. You could've warned him.

"I'm sorry," You whispered, voice cracking.

Sabo shook his head, "It can't... How is everyone so normal about it-!" You put a hand over his mouth when his voice grew louder.

You had asked yourself the same question. "I don't know." How could people behave like monsters... "I don't know." You whispered again, quieter.

Did nobody else see the problem? You couldn't be the only two people—two kids—in High Town with a heart.

That's when you heard footsteps, quiet but there. "Sabo, you have to go."

"But-" He wasn't ready. He couldn't let you go so soon. He wasn't sure when he could see you again. He still needed to apologise. He still needed to tell you everything.

You ignored how glossy his eyes were and pushed him off. "It's no good if you're caught here. Go, warn them."

"Come with me." He grabbed your uninjured hand and tried to tug you towards the window, grabbing his pipe.

"Sabo."

"We can warn them together. You don't have to stay here." He pleaded, pulling harder.

"I can't!" You huffed, trying to keep your voice steady. "I can't- You- I tried already, just go without me. I'm not like you. I'm hopeless." You all but shoved him out the window, shutting it just as the guard entered.

Sabo had to force himself not to go back in there and drag you out. How could you say that about someone he cared about? He knew you wanted to be free, you had been trapped longer than him. Your cage came with extra barbs.

"You're not hopeless." He'd prove it. After this was over, he'd come back and take you with him. He'd kidnap you if he had to!

He jumped down and ran off into the darkness.

You woke up in a sweat, the consequences of your choice weighing heavily on you. Am I going to regret it? You didn't want to get up. You didn't get up until the maids were banging on your door.

How could you go about your day like everything was normal? You felt on edge, as if the house would collapse on you. Tonight, thousands die for the sin of being born poor. It could've very well been you had you not been "born lucky".

You wondered, as you walked downstairs, if Sabo ever made it out. He always did what you couldn't. Your question was answered as you overheard your mother on the phone.

"Oh yes, that boy. Must be a nightmare for his parents." She took a long sip of her tea. "Did you know he ran away again? They caught the demon running down our street this morning! I can't believe I let him anywhere near my child; no wonder my poor dear got into so much trouble."

The guards nudged you along once they felt you lingered. You glanced back at them, putting on your best smile. "Can we go to the market today?"

They had to ask your mother for special permission since you were still grounded. She only said yes because she was too busy gossiping on the phone to realise what she agreed to.

You hoped to bore the officers trailing behind you. It seemed to work as you stopped by every single store, inspected all their products, then moved on without buying a thing. The sun beating down on them didn't help.

You, however, had built the endurance to hellish shopping thanks to your mother.

They didn't last an hour before they were running to the nearest bench, "keeping an eye" on you from a distance. You gradually strayed further and further, reappearing now and then to let them know you were around. By evening, you had completely disappeared.

Suckers. You pretended not to let it get to your head, but honestly, your ego needed this small win.

Sabo's home was nearby. You didn't want to imagine what his parents were doing to him.

You crawled through the hole in the back of the fence, one that only you two knew about. You thought he'd be in his room, but you heard his loud sobs clearly. Too clearly to be coming from a higher level with closed windows.

You saw a small basement window left half open. Crouching down in the dirt, you were just barely able to make out Sabo's silhouette in the dark cellar. He kicked at the door desperately, but you could see him starting to wear out. How long had he been down there?

If I had gone with him... This could've been avoided. The regret you feared began chipping away at you. I wish, if only, what if. Thoughts that would only kill you slowly if you let them fester.

But you could only change what happened now. "Sabo." You whispered.

He had just been about to break his shoulder by ramming into the door. Instead, he stopped too suddenly and toppled down the stairs, landing in front of the window you were peeking through.

His nose was bright red, and his eye bags hung heavy. "You're here." He whispered, his voice raw from pleading to be let out. "I'm sorry, I couldn't get out!"

"Don't be. I should've gone with you." You tried to smile, knowing it would ease him. "Should've known you needed me."

"I-" His ears went red. "I, um, I couldn't warn them. But there's still time." He picked up a worn tool from the ground, one he'd clearly tried and failed to use.

He nearly took your head off when he threw a crowbar through the small gap. You're lucky his aim was trash.

"Do you think you can—"

"Yeah," You nodded, already lodging it between the metal frame and the ground to widen the gap for him. You were done watching.

Sabo began piling old boxes, crates, and barrels to climb out. He'd reached the top just as you'd snapped the window off its hinges.

"You're good with that thing," Sabo joked as he crawled out, hat in one hand and pipe in the other.

You gave the crowbar a trial swing before refocusing. "We don't have much time." One look at the sky and you were both rushing past the gate and onto the streets.

Sabo didn't want to jinx it. He didn't see you pause as you ran down the hills towards Edge Town. "Are you coming with me?" He asked hesitantly.

You were quiet, saving your breath for the full-on sprint you were in. But the look in his eyes made him impossible to ignore. "Yeah."

He lit up. "We'll save them!" He stated confidently between heavy breaths. "We're together, so I'm sure it'll be okay!" He almost laughed, jumping down the steps.

For a moment, you let yourself believe him.

You turned the corner slowly, one arm stretched out to stop Sabo from rushing out blindly. Every soldier had a photo in their hands, no doubt his. (Your parents wouldn't want to cause such a massive scene)

It would still be hard to do anything unnoticed. You grumbled, frying your brain for a solution. There had to be a way to get past them—at least one of you.

Sabo leaned over your arm once he heard an ear-piercing screech. The large, metal doors at the gate began to slide shut. Every shift of the gears rumbled through the ground.

"They're trapping them," Sabo gripped his pipe tighter.

"I know." It was one thing to hear about the plan, but another to see it in action. No fire yet, but it was sure to follow.

Once that door was shut, you weren't getting it open again. You were on a timer.

You slipped the bandages off your arm and wrapped them around the crowbar for a better grip.

Just one of us has to make it through.

"I'll get through and warn everyone before everything goes down. The military will focus on me."

You didn't know if they'd delay everything to get you back; you were nobility after all. But... there was always a chance. You'd rather take that chance yourself than have your plan hurt Sabo, or worse.

"I just need you to make sure the door stays open. I don't think they'd risk fire spreading here."

Sabo hated where this was going.

"No!" He didn't want to split up. It was too soon for him to say goodbye. "Can't we both go?"

You didn't have time to argue. "Sabo, unless you can think of another plan in ten seconds, I'm doing it."

"I just got you back!" He grabbed your shirt. Why did you take the dangerous part of your plan? "Let me go, I'm stronger!"

The kid in you wanted to remind him that you were older and more experienced. You resisted. "They have your picture. You'll be caught the second you step out." The top hat was hard to miss.

"But-"

"Sabo!" You grabbed his shoulder. "I promise I'll be okay!" You smiled, ignoring how your hands were shaking. You just needed him to believe you. "Do you trust me?"

He swallowed, blinking away the tears. He couldn't cry in front of you. "...yeah"

"I'll find Ace and Luffy. I'll get everyone before the fire starts. But I need you to buy me time." You looked back at the door, panicking when you saw how close it was to shutting. "I gotta go! Don't you dare get caught!"

Sabo only let go because he had to. You ran, your lungs tight as you dodged guards who were mostly unaware of your presence.

With all the strength you could muster, you tossed the crowbar through the gap in the large gear. These doors were old, and so was their mechanism. One piece of scrap metal was enough to make it screech to a halt, but not for long.

"Over there!" The guard's voice carried far, alerting all her comrades.

This time, you were much closer to the door when you were spotted. You slipped through—the soldiers operating the doors jumped from their positions to grab you, but you were faster.

You made it out by a hair, hearing the panic ensue behind you. Guards argued over whether they should give chase or shut the doors but you didn't give a damn anymore.

I'm out.

You honestly missed the Grey Terminal's stench, but now was no time to reminisce. There would be no Grey Terminal if you didn't hurry.

You kept running, jumping over sharp scraps and broken planks. You needed to alert everyone as quickly as possible.

You grabbed two sheets of metal off the ground and began beating them together as hard as you could, walking towards the people's homes. Any minute now, this place could erupt into flames.

"Get out of here! Everyone! You need to RUN!" You called out as loud as you could. "WAKE U—"

Something punched the air out of your lungs.

The ringing noise pierced your ears before you registered the sound of the gunshot that preceded it.

You tried to speak, but all that came out was a wheeze as you fell to your knees. You held your middle, watching as blood fell past your fingers into the ground, still warm. You coughed, watching as more blood escaped you. You couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Cut that out," A man's voice from behind you warned. He pressed the smouldering end of the gun to your shoulder.

A long, navy-coloured jacket with golden tassels came into view. The smell of cheap booze and tobacco clung to him like cologne.

People here didn't dress that extravagantly. He was no guard, noble, or local.

Shit.

Pirates... Of course, they were involved.

You would've found it ironic that this was how you were taken down had you not been scared out of your mind, trying to keep as much blood in you as you could.

I don't want to die. You thought, letting your forehead hit the ground, hoping the pain would keep you awake. Hold it in. Hold it in. Don't sleep. I'm not done yet.

The world went black just as you began to smell smoke.

I'm sorry.

"Who was that!?"

The guards looked at the photo of Sabo, confirming it wasn't him.

"Doesn't matter, shut the damn door already!"

"If they're a noble's kid, their death'll be on our heads!"

Sabo snuck past the arguing guards, using the opening you had made for him.

They left the crank unoccupied. Your crowbar was thoroughly lodged into the gap. There was no pulling it either way. So he'd make everyone's lives harder.

Sabo began to quietly disassemble the parts, removing whatever he could by hand: gears, screws, loose metal. He didn't even know what he was doing.

Not enough.

He dumped the scraps between the large cogwheels he couldn't remove. It'd be harder for them to recover the pieces.

BANG!

The sound of a gunshot startled him to the ground. What was that? He tried not to think of the worst-case scenario, but the image of you soaked in blood was hard to brush off.

Getting distracted was dangerous.

His arm was grabbed roughly. "What do you think you're doing!?" Sabo didn't hesitate. He grabbed his pipe and slammed it into the man's head.

I have to keep the door open. But other officers began to notice him.

"Hey, you have to evacuate!" A guard called out until he realised who it was. "It's the kid! Get him!"

The smell of smoke washed over Sabo.

He saw the blossoming red glow of fire spread beyond the walls. What?! They were supposed to close the doors first. He was supposed to buy you time.

Please be safe. It was the only thought he could spare you before he faced the guards.

He didn't falter for a moment, even when they approached with rifles in hand.

"You have to keep the door open!" He held his pipe out ahead of him. "People are going to die! How can you be so heartless!?"

"He's crazy." A guard shouted as he brought the back end of his rifle straight into Sabo's chest. He coughed, stumbling to the ground. The pain of the impact shot through his jaw and to his eyes, making them water.

It hurts, but I can take it. You can't be the only one getting hurt for the sake of others.

"Stay away from the lock!" Another guard came in as he got up, knocking him back down.

Soon enough, he was surrounded by men wearing gas masks, beating him into the ground. Were these really the protectors of the people? Cutting off the poor's escape from a hell of their making, beating anyone who dared show a shred of empathy...

Worst of all, Sabo was born on this side of the wall. He couldn't tell if the nausea came from the kick to his stomach or the thought of being anything like these people.

They left him in an alley, bloodied and bruised, barely able to crawl. The wind blew dirt in his face, as if this wasn't bad enough. He hoped you were doing better than him—he hoped Ace and Luffy were far from this place.

He craned his neck, wanting to look at the burning sky, but saw a cloaked figure standing over him.

For a grim moment, he thought he was going to be beaten again. But the person crouched down instead. "What happened to you, boy?"

He tried his best to focus, but his vision swam. He barely made out the features of an older man with marks on his face.

Sabo's heart jumped. Maybe he'll listen. Even if he was being optimistic, trying had to be worth something.

"The nobles and-" He started, choking on his shallow breaths. He willed himself not to pass out. "And the royalty... are behind the fire." He reached for the man's hand, gripping it with the last of his strength.

"Please believe me." The right words, the right tone. If he could convince just one person, things could change. "This town smells worse than the Grey Terminal."

He swallowed a sob, thinking of all those people who cared for him more than his blood parents.

"It smells rotten." His hand shifted higher onto the man's cloak. Was he even listening? Did it matter? He needed this off his chest. "If I stay here, I'll never be free." No matter what he did, he kept being dragged back.

"I'm..." The cry bubbled out of his throat before he could stop it. "I'm ashamed of being born a noble!"

The man stared at him in shock, muttering something to him. Sabo had taken too many hits to the head to hear properly. But the man didn't have that dirty look ever noble had; he didn't look at Sabo like he was another dumb kid. He looked... pleasantly surprised.

"You- You're really listening to me! Aren't you?!"

The man nodded and Sabo felt the last of his energy drain from his body. He collapsed forward into the man's arms.

You woke up to tears falling onto your face. Small hands violently shook you until you opened your eyes. You couldn't hear—your ears still rang—but you could barely make out Luffy's face through the flames. He was shouting, so you thought.

Others you didn't recognise surrounded you, panicking, prodding at your injury. You felt numb until someone pressed right against the bullet wound.

Your mouth opened. If you screamed that night, you would never know. They wrapped it tight, pushing harder against. The pain radiated to the rest of your body. Trying to breathe felt like drowning. The air was thick, clogging your nose and lungs until you were choking again.

The strangers took you on their backs, grabbing Luffy too but by force. You had a chilling moment of clarity once you saw him reach towards the fire. Where's Ace?

Hot.

You boiled beneath a blanket, the sun beating down on your face. Your clothes stuck to you, damp with sweat, most uncomfortable around your shoulders and waist.

Gross. It was like the cloth was glued to you. You shifted, trying to tug your shirt up to let air flow, only to realise you weren't wearing one. Itchy cloth was wrapped around your entire torso.

Wait. You opened your eyes, squinting as unfamiliar light clouded your vision. Where am I?

You tried to sit, pushing your arms up underneath you. You felt your body shake, as if unused to the strain of your own weight.

That's when someone screamed in your ear.

Your arms caved and you fell back onto what you now realised was a futon. Now that hurt. You hissed, clutching right beneath your heart.

"THEY'RE AWAKE!!!"

If your mouth didn't taste like shit, you would've yelled at him to shut up. You watched as a little boy with a straw hat ran for the door, only to fall face-first.

"Luffy..?" You didn't recognise your own voice.

He ran back to your side in seconds, clearly trying not to cry. "What happened?! We thought you- You and Sabo... Why wasn't Sabo with you- Is- Is he okay!?" The poor boy looked exhausted. He was covered in bandages too, but at least he could move.

"Sabo... I don't know," You muttered, trying to remember if you saw him after you escaped. You hoped he was okay. "I was supposed to warn everyone. The fire—" Your breath stuttered, chest shaking once you remembered your glimpses into the chaos.

"You did!" Luffy grabbed your hand, his lip trembling. "We heard gunshots. People started running before the fire started."

"I..." You felt the crushing weight on your chest ease. You hadn't failed—not completely. It didn't matter how people got the warning, as long as they fled. "I'm glad."

About a dozen or so bandits burst through the door. The only reason you didn't panic was that they looked just as scared as you.

The largest of the men hovered over you. If you were any more delirious, you would've thought he was a rooster.

"Try not to move too much... You were hurt badly." He helped you sit up, bringing a cup of water to your lips. You didn't realise how much you needed it until you finished the whole thing.

Luffy sat beside you the entire time, like you'd vanish if he looked away. It might've had something to do with the fact that his brothers weren't here.

You were pretty sure Sabo got away, hiding in Edge Town. But...

"Where's Ace?" A risky question.

Nobody answered. Luffy hugged his knees to his chest and looked at the door. "Ace and Dadan... haven't come back yet."

Nobody corrected him. You read the room and stayed quiet. No wonder he looked so relieved when you woke up. You didn't know how long he had waited. Poor boy had been all alone.

The tension was short-lived as another bandit (how many were there?) burst through the door, out of breath, and with tears in his eyes.

"Those two-!" Everyone but you and Luffy stood.

"What is it!?"

"They're back!"

Luffy was the first one out of the door, shoving past everyone. You only had enough strength to pull yourself up to the window to see what was—

Holy shit, Ace was carrying someone thrice his size. You assumed she was Dadan. You'd never actually met before. Even with her injured, she was intimidating. She looked like she crawled through hell and lived out of sheer will.

They were brought inside quickly.

You felt like an intruder. Luffy bawled his eyes out, clinging to Ace, while Dadan was being treated. Everyone in that room looked like they belonged, except for you.

You understood why Sabo waited to tell them where he was from. They all lead difficult lives, no thanks to those in power. It felt insensitive to try and relate to their struggles when your life sounded like a dream.

You sat in the corner, holding back any reactions you had to the pain clawing at you so as not to distract them. That heat from before stubbornly clung to you. You were starting to think you had a fever.

"Another kid?" Dadan was looking straight at you while she spoke. You couldn't read her expression like you could others'. Was she angry? Upset? Oh god she hates me already.

"They're the boys' friend." The rooster-man whispered to her.

Everyone panicked when she sat up. They tried to coax her back down, but she looked like she'd swing if they got too close.

The crowd looked between you and Dadan.

"Friend, huh." She grabbed the jug of water set out for her and chugged it.

You gulped.

She glared at her men. "Are you lot gonna sit here all day? You better not be slacking!" It was fun to see everyone try to scramble out before she could throw anything at them. Though you had a feeling she did that to have a one-on-one with you.

Ace and Luffy, dense as ever, didn't leave. Ace was yelling at Luffy to stop crying when he finally noticed you. His eyes went wide.

"You!"

This is going to be awkward. You hadn't seen him in months, and while Luffy didn't give a damn, Ace did.

"Do you know what you did to Sabo!?" He stormed forward, only held back by Dadan grabbing the back of his ratty top.

"Ace."

"No!" He pointed at you. "They don't get away with disappearing and coming back like it's nothing. Sabo waited for you every day! And now you're here when he's gone home!?"

"He isn't... he shouldn't be home." You tried to keep your voice steady. Ace looked confused. "I helped him escape. We went to the Great Gate together the night of the fire."

Dadan dragged Ace down to sit on the floor in an attempt to calm him down. It didn't work. "Then where is he?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean—"

"I don't know!" You dipped your head down. "We split up. He stayed on the other side to keep the door open. We thought... I thought it would delay their plans. I even thought some people could escape, but I guess that was stupid."

"So he's alone."

"..." It was hard to take a deep breath with a hole in your chest. "Yeah, I guess so."

Ace was right to be mad. Your plan had been rushed, not thought out in any way. It was selfish too. You wanted to be the one running into the fight for once, and you wanted Sabo to stay back and stay safe.

"Enough of that." Dadan smacked Ace's shoulder. It looked like it hurt. "That kid can take care of himself, so drop it!"

She turned her gaze to you. You felt like a fish on land being approached by a bear.

"You got somewhere to go?" She asked, lowering her voice.

That wasn't what you were expecting. She didn't ask where you were from or why you were staying here. You could see why Sabo liked it here.

You shook your head.

She expected that answer, but still sighed. "What's your name, kid?"

You introduced yourself, just the name everyone called you by, no need to be overly formal.

"Well, I don't want to take in any more brats. But if you're gonna stay here—" You never said you were staying, but interrupting her felt like a bad idea. "—you gotta earn your keep!"

Your people instincts kicked in. "You've already done a lot for me. I'd be happy to help in any way you need me to." You gave her your kindest smile. Those years of practising your facade weren't for nothing.

She went still, staring at you with wide eyes like you cursed her entire bloodline.

Did I say something wrong?

That's when Dadan slow-turned to Ace and Luffy with a scowl. "You lot oughta learn a thing or two from them."

Luffy stuck his tongue out and Ace shot you a look (which you returned with a smug grin since she wasn't looking). Dadan was going to be on their ass about manners thanks to you.

"Now scram," Dadan made a shooing motion as she lay back down. "Ace stay."

"What, why?"

"Just do it. And Luffy, help them out." She could see you struggling to breathe. You wouldn't be going anywhere without help for days.

Luffy jumped up from the floor and grabbed your arm. "Let's go find some beetles! We can make them fight."

Being carried by Luffy was even more awkward than being carried by Sabo. He hauled you onto his back and ran out, letting your feet drag against the floor.

Screw these little boys and their abnormal strength.

The wind was comforting, carrying the smell of wet vegetation and the coolness that came with the end of summer. You didn't get this kind of weather in town.

"Which beetle do you want?" Luffy held two massive bugs to your face.

You weren't interested—still hung up on Sabo—but Luffy didn't give you much of a choice. "The one with the big horn on its head."

He pouted, "Aw, but I wanted that one."

I can't with this kid. "Then why did you ask?"

"Because you look sad."

The observant answer shocked you. You gave him a smile and shook your head. "I'm just thinking."

"...about Sabo?"

Maybe he wasn't as dumb as you thought he was. "Yeah."

"Me too." Luffy put the beetles down, letting them clash while he egged them on with a stick. "But it's okay, because he's gonna come. And if he doesn't, we can go get him!" Luffy's little giggles lifted your mood.

"Who's we?" You asked with a smile.

"Me, you, and Ace, duh!" He said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Me, who was shot, and Ace, who ran through fire and survived in the woods?"

Luffy frowned, picking up the bug who'd lost. "You think too hard."

You tried not to laugh when he seemed so serious. "You don't think enough."

Your attention was stolen by rustling from the bushes. You expected a wild animal. Instead, a short man with binoculars hanging from his neck walked out, stunned.

"Oh, Dogra!" Luffy waved, the poor beetle still in his hand.

Another bandit, you assumed, but he looked... scared? No, that wasn't the right word. It looked like he was reeling from shock, sweat running down his face.

"Ace and Dadan are back!"

"Yeah? T-That's great." He didn't sound ecstatic like the others. You found it suspicious, but kept your mouth shut. "You two should go inside... I need to talk to everyone."

A nightmare, that's what it was. Sabo's dead. The words tauntingly echoed in your head.

Ace was shouting, lashing out, denying; he even grabbed Dogra and raised a fist to punch him. Luffy cried when he realised it was too late, that nothing he could do would change the fact that...

Their brother was gone.

Killed by a Celestial Dragon.

It's not fair. His life hadn't even started—he didn't make it off the island, didn't die at sea as a proud pirate. He was shot down before the world got to meet him.

Your brain did what it did best. Spiralled.

If only...

You had listened. If he had gone while you stayed, would he have set off with his brothers instead? Would he have used a different port? Would he have waited?

If only...

You had a better plan. If you were smarter, if you thought things through that night, you could've both left together.

If only...

Instead of running that day, months ago, you told him the truth. That you wanted to go with him. You want to be a pirate, you want to follow him across the world on whatever adventures he'd drag you into. You wanted to see the world beyond books and paintings.

Did he die thinking he had no choice but to go alone?

Tears ran down your face. You couldn't hug yourself if you wanted to with the wound on your chest. Crying hurt, every violent movement of your lungs felt like it would tear more holes into you.

Then a truly vile thought infected your mind.

I should've died that night.

You wondered if the others thought so too.

You cried all night. Not non-stop, but enough to keep you miserable. You didn't recall falling asleep, but you woke up, tucked in with a fresh change of bandages and clothes set beside you.

Luffy wasn't far. He was asleep on the futon beside you, still sniffling.

Your head was full of fog. The sun wasn't as bright as it had been the morning before; warm blankets brought you no comfort. You pressed your head back into the pillow, hoping you'd fall asleep again.

You didn't want to be awake. You didn't want to think anymore.

There was a gentle knock at the door. A bandit walked in, holding a folded paper. There was no point pretending to be asleep.

"Good, you're awake." He handed it to you and quickly fled, as if afraid of your reaction.

A letter? You took the slip of paper, confused. Nobody should've known where you were.

Sabo

You saw his name scribbled onto the front.

...

He must've sent it before...

Could you even handle its contents in your state? You were tempted to hide it, read it when you were ready. But you knew you never would be.

If you didn't read it now, you'd never get to it.

Y/N, I don't know where you went after the fire. I like to think that you found my brothers (or they found you). Either way, I believe you're okay! You promised after all. Sorry, but when you get this letter I'll already be...

You wiped away the tear that landed on the paper.

...out at sea. My destination will be anywhere but here. I'm gonna become stronger and become a real pirate. Then, I'll ask you to join my crew! I was going to ask before, but I guess I wasn't strong enough. I always looked up to you. You're just so cool! I couldn't imagine you saying yes until I proved myself. Would you have said yes?

Yeah. You would've.

I still have a lot to say... but I'd rather tell you in person! One day, let's meet again! Somewhere on the wide open sea. But by that point, you might have your own crew. You'd make a great captain. P.S. If you decide to stay with Dadan and the others, please take care of my brothers like you took care of me! They're my greatest treasure. - Sabo

A noise you weren't familiar with left your mouth. You're so mean. How dare he leave you with such a heartfelt letter? How dare he make you smile when you were busy sobbing your eyes out!

How dare he promise to see you out at sea... Now you had no choice.

You didn't fight the smile on your face or the tears that burned your eyes.

Your future has never been clearer.

Time flew by.

In the morning, you'd help Dadan. Her words were loud and harsh, but you could tell you had grown on her. She didn't yell at you nearly as much as the other two, even if you were more comfortable starting trouble now.

It was freeing, not being afraid of adults. She wasn't your mother, and you were fine with that. 'Dadan' was her own class, more special than any parent in your life had been.

Every day, you went out to train—sometimes alone, sometimes with Ace and Luffy. You watched them grow in Sabo's place. Every day, they got a little stronger, a little closer to their dreams.

And every day, you pushed yourself to stay ahead. You were older after all! You couldn't let them show you up.

You became a fun challenge for them to overcome.

"It's not fair!" Luffy complained, trying to pull his arm out of the tree he'd punched a hole through.

"Pirates don't fight fair," You teased, poking the back of his knees with a crowbar you'd stolen. He lost his footing and, like a rubber band, his body snapped to the tree in seconds.

You winced in sympathy. "Better luck next time!" You moved just in time to dodge Ace's hit. You held the crowbar out, tripping him.

"Damn it—" He got a mouthful of mud.

To be fair, you guys had been at it for hours now. No wonder they were exhausted.

Seeing the orange hues paint the sky reminded you of the time. "Alright, that's enough for today."

"NO! One more!" Luffy called out, still stuck in the tree.

"Help your brother out." You told Ace as you stepped over him.

"Don't tell me what to do," He grumbled, but listened anyway. You seriously needed to teach him some manners.

They didn't know, but tonight was special.

Once everybody went to sleep, you snuck out, only taking a matchbox.

The stars were never this vibrant in High Town. You lay down on the grassy cliff overlooking the sea, letting the smell of salt lull you. Soon, you'll smell it all day, every day.

You held a single match out in front of the moon.

It didn't have to be exactly midnight. You smiled and pushed yourself into a relaxed, half-sit.

Shwip.

It sparked to life. You watched the wood burn slowly as the flame danced.

Warm.

You could've spent hours staring at it, but you had a life to get to.

"Happy birthday to me." You smiled and blew it out. The darkness reclaimed the area around you. You remembered when seventeen used to feel far away.

"I'll be setting off." You casually dropped that on Ace the next morning in the woods. You'd already 'bought' a boat months ago in preparation; you could've left while everyone slept but...

The boulder was your favourite seat! You wanted to sit on it in the sun one last time. You jumped off the stone, giving it a small farewell pat before walking past the stunned teen.

His 'tough guy' expression faltered. "What? Just like that?"

"Yeah, got a problem?" You teased.

"No I... thought you'd leave without saying anything." He knew you well. "Did you stick around to say goodbye?" You'd noticed that after Sabo, Ace had somewhat settled. You'd even argue that he matured!

"Hmmm... Not my style." You hummed, watching the waves crashing in the distance, your bag slung over your shoulder.

…

"Aren't you gonna tell Luffy?"

You almost laughed at that. What he didn't know was that you weren't even planning on telling him! He just happened to be at your last stop.

"You can do that for me."

Ace sighed, realising how much work you just dumped onto him. "He's not gonna be happy…"

You stuck your tongue out and smiled, "He'll forgive me, maybe when we see each other again out there." You paused. "Oh! And send Dadan my thanks! She did more for me than any blood family."

"Do it yourself! I'm not your messenger bird!"

You pretended not to hear him, staring at the Sun in the sky. "Would you look at the time! I gotta get going! Bye~"

"Hey!"

You ran, not for your life, or away from one. You ran towards a new start, your chest light and your bones buzzing with excitement.

You hoped the ocean was ready for you. You were more than ready to conquer it!

The End!

.

.

.

Bonus:

Many years later...

Sabo smiled at the paper, thumb brushing past your picture. Right below it: your name, DEAD OR ALIVE, and your bounty.

"One day," He tucked your wanted poster into his pocket.

For some, it was the culmination of their entire life's work. What they were born for. Others, a reward—after all, they're rich! And now they have the noble title to back it up.

For you? It was a life sentence. The only way to make it through the day without having a crisis was to forget about it—ignorance is bliss.

What choice did you have? It's not like you could run away.

…

One sleepless night, you considered it.

What if you ran away?

You were already allowed to go wherever you wanted unattended, for now. It's easy, in theory. It's everything that came afterwards...

Were you ready to lead a life constantly on the run? To never feel the comfort of a home to return to at the end of the day? To leave everything you couldn't carry with you?

Impossible. You would've thought, if you hadn't had a prime example of it working in a noble's favour.

Sabo was living a happy, free life—as free as a ten-year-old could be living in the woods. But he had a friend, he had money, and he had a choice.

Run or stay. There was no avoiding your fate. You had to make up your mind and quick, time was ticking faster than you realised.

The room's silence slowly swallowed you until you couldn't bear it. You jumped out of bed and got dressed.

Sneaking out at night wasn't something you made a habit of, and for good reason. If during the day you got mugged, at night, you'd be kidnapped—or worse.

It was getting lighter; you excused to yourself in an attempt to convince the alarm bells in your head to shut up.

You froze on the steps once you heard a voice: your mother's.

"I think they're ready." She spoke quietly. You slowed your pace, trying not to alert anyone to your presence as you crept down the stairs.

The door to the main living room, where she sat with your father, was left slightly ajar. Your father had surprisingly put down his paper to listen.

You waited outside the door as something heavy settled in your gut. They're talking about me.

"Are you sure?" Your father asked, unconvinced.

"They excel in all their studies and extracurriculars. If we were to show their accomplishments to the royal family..."

"They would undoubtedly catch their attention," Your father continued, giving it some thought.

You felt your heart sink into your stomach. Nausea followed like clockwork. The Royal Family. You leaned against the wall, trying to stay as quiet as possible as you felt your world collapse around you.

I thought I had more time.

It was your parents' ultimate plan for you: marriage, but you thought they'd wait until you were older before offering you up like a prized animal. It seems they were already preparing as if it were the most important event in their lives.

Maybe I shouldn't have played my role so well.

You wanted to continue listening in—you truly did—but you couldn't stomach hearing your future be decided for you.

You needed to clear your mind.

It was a slow morning. Sabo camped out in a tree, watching people come and go in the distance. No pirates, no merchants, no thieves—besides him. More importantly, nobody to rob!

He hoped Ace was having as much trouble as he was. It would be embarrassing to show up to their spot empty-handed.

That's when he saw you. It had been almost a week since you bumped into each other. So much had happened, so much to fill you in on. He would've been excited had you not looked… off. You dipped your head down but walked quickly as if avoiding something. Strangest thing was that you would've walked straight past him if he hadn't called out to you.

He grabbed his trusty pipe and jumped down from the branch. "You're here early!" You blinked, a little shocked. Had you not seen him? You fixed your face.

"Oh yeah… I was taking a walk and ended up here," You shrugged casually, but Sabo sensed something was wrong with the way you smiled. You were usually a better liar.

"Then I'll join you," He smiled, putting his hands behind his head. It's not like he had anything better to do right now.

He didn't know it, but his presence put you at ease.

Sabo brought you deeper into the woods. The sounds of a tussle grew louder the closer you got to the clearing. Two boys fought, one you recognised—Ace—and one you'd never seen before, wearing a goofy straw hat.

You stared before turning to Sabo, wondering why he looked at the new face as if it were familiar. "Did I miss a chapter?"

"Huh?"

"There are three of you now?" You joked, pointing at the much younger boy who had just been thrown to the ground. The dirt clinging to his... everything made it clear this wasn't the first time today.

It took Sabo a moment before it hit him. "OH— Right!" He almost forgot that you had never met or even heard of Luffy.

Ace had asked Sabo not to tell you anything about the little kid that moved in with him and the mountain bandits. Back then, he thought Luffy would give up or just die in the woods. They didn't think you needed to know.

You and Sabo sat off on the sidelines on a nice patch of grass while he filled you in. It was nice sitting and talking to him—just him—like you used to before. It was easy to forget why you'd run off today.

The peace was short-lived.

"Who's that!" A loud voice cut Sabo off. The person it was attached to appeared in your peripheral. He looked even younger up close.

Sabo smiled, introducing you then adding, "They're an old friend."

Old. The word made you shudder. You couldn't believe that the only real friends you had were younger than you. Was it embarrassing? Absolutely. Did you care? Not that much.

You flicked the back of Sabo's hat, making it fall over his face. "Actually, I was his babysitter." You corrected with a smirk, taking advantage of the few years you had over him.

Luffy started laughing, pestering you with questions between breaths. Ace just snorted but tried to stay nonchalant, turning away. Sabo was lucky his face was hidden or they'd see how red he went.

He only snapped out of it when Luffy asked where you stayed, seeing the fancy snacks you had graciously given him.

Before you could answer, Sabo grabbed your arm and dragged you away from the group, yelling: "I just remembered something really important we have to talk about! In private!"

"What was that for?" You asked once he let go of you. You could still see the others in the distance, but they were out of earshot.

"Just… Don't tell them about my parents, okay?" He whispered, still afraid of being heard. "Or yours. Or anything about High Town."

And here you thought that these boys shared everything.

"Sabo," You looked at Ace and Luffy, sitting together, then back to Sabo, who was looking at the ground with guilt. "You haven't told them?" You understood why Luffy didn't know, but Ace? The two had been friends for years!

Sabo dug his shoe in the dirt, wanting to avoid this conversation altogether. "I couldn't find the right time…"

"Lame excuse, try again." You cut him off quickly and he winced.

"Because they'll see me differently!"

"Haah?" You tilted your head. You didn't know about Luffy, but you knew Ace of all people wouldn't care about where Sabo was from. "You know you have nothing to worry about. Besides, it's better to tell them than let them find out another way."

Sabo shuddered. "I will. When I'm ready."

He wasn't the hesitant little kid, all bark and no bite. You trusted he would stay true to his word. So you relented. "Fine. I'll keep my mouth shut."

He let out a breath of relief. "Thanks." But he didn't move to go back to them. All you could hear was the wind winding through the leaves.

"Is that all you wanted to say to me?"

Sabo stiffened like he'd been caught staring. "Ah- Uh- Um. Yeah!"

You didn't believe him for one second, but you didn't get the chance to call him out.

"Oi, SABO!" Luffy barrelled into the blonde, their heads knocking with a loud THONK.

"Luffy!" Sabo complained as they were on the ground. Luffy didn't get off him.

"Are you done talking?" He whined, nudging his shoulder. "I wanna go to the lake but Ace says you need to come."

"I'm not—"

"You can come too!" Luffy looked at you and smiled. He was by far the friendliest, even compared to Sabo.

"Sounds fun." You held your hands out for them to take.

You pulled Sabo up quickly, but when you did the same for Luffy, his arm stretched. What… It extended as a rubber band would. Your jaw hung slightly and Sabo couldn't help but laugh his ass off.

"You— How—" You'd heard of people with strange abilities, those who ate Devil Fruits, but you'd always assumed they'd be… adults? How was it that some kid got their hands on one?

"Luffy's made of rubber!" Sabo explained while wiping away his tears of amusement. He pulled Luffy's cheek; lo and behold, the skin stretched.

"Owww! Sawbo! Stwop it—" Luffy struggled to get the words out with his mouth stretched so far.

"He's still not very good at it though." He let go and Luffy toppled over from the recoil.

"Sabo," Ace called out, motioning for him to come over.

You could tell they needed some time alone. "I'll go ahead with Luffy!" Even if you knew where you were going, you let the small boy guide you, not wanting to rain on his parade.

You waved, and Sabo tried to ignore the way his little heart stuttered.

Ace didn't wait for you to be out of sight. "What happened to convincing them to—"

"I will!" Sabo held his hands out to Ace, effectively shushing him. He glanced back in your direction, making sure you weren't listening. "I'm just… playing the long game."

"Uh huh."

"I have a plan."

"I won't question the master strategist." Ace joked as he went ahead, leaving Sabo red-faced (and embarrassed).

Why were you here again? You thought you got banned from seeing this place and its residents.

You stood in the living room in front of Sabo's (former) parents, wondering why there was another kid.

"This is our new son." Sabo's father stood beside a young boy, who was noticeably NOT Sabo. His hand rested on a boy's head in a manner far gentler than you'd ever seen before and—was that pride on his face?

You didn't have time to question the man's sudden personality flip.

The strange boy stepped forward and took your hand—ew. "It is my utmost honour and pleasure to make your acquaintance!" He bowed, his head level with your hand.

You wanted to gag. You would've if you didn't pull away before he could kiss the back of it.

You bowed in return, swallowing back choice words. "The pleasure is all mine." It was painfully familiar. This time, when you stood straight, Sabo wasn't there.

The boy had an interesting character. He looked like a botched attempt at bleaching a hazelnut and had all the personality of a stick of butter.

You glanced at your mother, who swore that you'd never step foot in this household again. She beamed, moving forward to hold her "friend's" hand.

"Oh what wonderful news! Congratulations. Honestly, you're better off with this polite little one!" The ladies went off to talk.

How could they say that? Did they not care about the son they had for years that just 'went missing'? They talked about Sabo like he'd been a pet they put down to make room for the new, shinier one.

He was someone with goals and dreams, but to his parents, he was just a ticket to royalty.

"How about you show them around the house? After that, you can go play in your room." Sabo's father asked, patting the boy on the head before leaving to read the news in peace.

I know my way around. You thought bitterly as you followed him with barely veiled hatred.

You considered telling Sabo the next time you met... but what good would that do? He was never coming home. Either way, you forgot the kid's name the second you left. The only thing that lingered was anger.

"NO!"

"WHY NOT!?"

"BEC- BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!"

You'd arrived to Sabo shouting at Luffy, who immediately started defending himself by shouting louder.

After witnessing as many fights as you did, you'd grown immune to the sight of bloodshed—sometimes you'd arrive to dead animals ten times their size. However, this was strange… It was usually Luffy and Ace who were at each other's throats. Seeing Sabo riled up was new.

"What is it today?" You ask Ace as you put your bag down, unfazed by the cartoonish billow of dust forming.

Ace, sitting atop a boulder, watched over the two with narrowed eyes and pinched brows. You'd come to understand that he wasn't angry all the time; his face just looked like that (unfortunate, I know).

"Luffy wanted to exchange saké."

You yawned, "Didn't you guys already do that?" Sabo had proudly told you about their brotherly pact as soon as he could. He practically barrelled into you out of excitement that day—he'd finally told them about his origins too, so that was a load off his chest (and yours).

You were happy for him, of course, but it just reminded you of how lonely you were.

Ace huffed as if it was your fault you didn't understand his vague answer. "Luffy wanted us to exchange saké with you too." He clearly didn't like the thought.

"Oh?" You thought about it, wondering why Sabo would— "Ohhhhh…" You suddenly understood why the blonde was so upset. He was bad at being sneaky with his feelings.

You realised back when he lived in High Town, when you would still see him every day. You assumed it was just because you were the only nice person in his life. You didn't think his silly kiddy crush survived out here.

"Yeah. He's really annoying about it." Ace understood too, unlike Luffy who was still throwing a massive fit.

It was sweet, the thought that Luffy wanted you as a sibling, but that was just greedy seeing as he already had two older brothers.

A wonderful idea crossed your mind. You tried to hide your grin, but Ace turned as if sensing your intent.

"What are you going to do?" He asked, suspicious.

"Nothing nothing," You waved him off and approached the fight.

You didn't have to say anything. You simply stood until both of them realised you were staring.

The dust settled and the two stilled as if someone had taken a picture. Sabo's hand was basically in Luffy's mouth, hooked around the side and pulling his cheek as far as he could. Luffy, trying to pry Sabo's hand off, had his foot in the blonde's face.

When Luffy finally turned his head (fully, like an owl) to face you, he smiled. "You'we hewe! That's gweat, we wew just tawking a'out—"

SNAP!!!

Sabo let go of Luffy's cheek and it snapped back into place.

"OW! OW! OW!!!" Luffy rubbed his cheek.

"You caught us at a bad time," He laughed way too loudly as he scrambled to his feet. "We were busy discussing super secret pirate stuff."

"Mhm." Your eyes thinned ever so slightly.

"That we can't talk about."

"Because of me? Wow, you don't trust me, even after everything..."

"No, what?! I mean-"

Luffy landed on Sabo's back, pushing his head down so he could talk to you. "Do you wanna have saké with us?"

Sabo punched him, like, actually hit him square in the chest and launched him into a tree.

"Ignore him!" He looked back at you, then away quickly. His ears burned red. "He doesn't mean it. We'd never..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I wouldn't want to."

He was making this too easy. You almost felt bad. "Whaa? Are we not as close as I thought we were?" You tried to seem genuinely hurt, hoping he didn't see the amusement in your eyes.

"No! It's not that! I—" Sabo had never wanted to strangle Luffy more than he did at that exact second. He was hoping to squash this conversation before it ever reached you. Too late!

What do I say?! His heart lodged itself in his throat, the heavy beat making it hard to breathe. He didn't want to confess, not here, not now, not like this! He wanted to be an impressive, super-cool pirate before that!

So he fumbled with his words until he strung together a semi-coherent sentence. "You're not a pirate—I mean- shit. It makes sense for me, Luffy, and Ace. We do everything together, we even live together, and we're going to set sail eventually and you... I don't know what you want to do."

Sabo hoped it sounded like what it was: an invitation.

It didn't. It reminded you that he was free and you weren't. He made a choice that you felt was too late to make for yourself. While he worked towards his dream, you sat in your room counting down your last days of freedom.

He was a pirate.

You were not. You may never be. Because you were a coward.

Intelligence, while it blessed you with success amongst the rich, also cursed you with fear. To constantly think, plan, rationalise. You constantly conjured excuses every time you had an opening.

You spent sleepless nights convincing yourself that a suffocating life is better than no life. You had a near-guaranteed future. Would you throw it away for a slight chance of happiness?

Sabo tried to approach when you didn't respond. He tried to say something else when he realised he'd upset you. Your mind was too full of noise; his voice drowned in it.

Before you knew it, you were running away... back to safety. Back to your cage.

Hours. Days. Weeks... Months.

The longer you waited, the more awkward it felt to go back and apologise, the more you settled back into routine.

Wake up, revise, attend social gatherings, go home, study, sleep.

Wake up, revise, attend social gatherings, go home, study, sleep.

Wake up, revise, attend social gatherings, go home, study, sleep.

You nearly broke one evening as you were staring at the empty revision packet on your desk.

This wasn't the life you wanted.

You dropped your pen onto your desk, burying your face into your hands. You were tired of the lurking ache, the growing knot in your stomach, the tightness in your chest. This life was just as likely to kill you, you thought bitterly.

There was no sure path in your life, or anyone's. You had to accept that life without risk doesn't exist.

That's it. You couldn't do this. You needed out. You were interrupted before you could start planning escape.

"Darling, come downstairs for a moment!" Your mother cheerfully called from downstairs. News was rarely good, especially if they interrupted "study time" for it.

"What." The word escaped your mouth before you could steel yourself.

"Don't worry, it'll all be over soon." Your mother sank into her seat with relief, as if the news was the best she'd get besides you being taken into the royal family.

"About time this country cleaned up that heap of trash." Your father stood at the window, smiling to himself as he watched the sun set.

In a month, the Grey Terminal would go up in flames, erasing this country's poverty, cleansing it to welcome the touring world noble.

Nothing could've prepared you for this.

While your hands shook and you tried to steady your breathing, one thought alone crossed your mind. I have to warn them.

You tried to keep a cool head, not to lash out or else you'd be locked up in your room.

For once, you didn't bite your tongue. "What about the people?" You asked, no louder than a whisper to hide the bite.

"What people?" Your father laughed. "Those low-life criminals are nothing. We people will be safe in our homes."

Monsters. You shut your eyes, trying to deepen your breaths when all you wanted to do was scream at them, run out, and warn them. Warn everyone.

You turned to leave.

"Oh, and one more thing." Your mother smiled, signalling for someone to enter. She seemed excited to deliver the news, "We got you a guard!"

A soldier, no different than the ones who patrolled the streets, stood in the doorway.

"What? Why?" You asked in a manner calmer than you thought you were capable of.

"Those rats have been sneaking in and out of our kingdom. We wouldn't want anything to happen to our only child! It's for your own good." She cooed sweetly, but you could see past that mock kindness. They had to keep their heir alive.

No no no. You ignored the sweat beading on your brow and stared at the soldier. He smiled the way he was paid to.

You had a month to escape.

You spent the first few days adjusting to the constant presence hanging over your shoulder.

Whatever your parents paid must've been good, because he never took his eyes off you.

While you studied, he sat in the corner of the room, only leaving when you had to change. At night, he slept in a chair your parents set outside your door. He even stood outside the bathroom, knocking when you took too long! Who does that!?

You started tracking his habits, specifically at night. How long does he watch you before he thinks you're asleep? How long does it take him to enter deep sleep? Is he a light sleeper?

Two weeks left.

You held off your nerves, knowing you had to do this right or else you wouldn't get another shot.

One week left.

You stared at your secret notes, written in a way difficult to read for anyone else. You had it down to a science. The plan was set.

You waited in bed, slowing your breaths until you heard the familiar footsteps exiting and the door clicking shut.

You stared at your clock, waiting patiently, silently. The one-hour mark was when he slept, but you waited two just to be safe. You slipped out of bed, unbuttoning your pyjamas to reveal the outdoor clothes beneath.

You grabbed your shoes, planning to put them on after you made it out, and your bag, hidden beneath the bed.

The windows were never locked.

You took one last look at your room. You weren't coming back, you had no reason to.

Here goes nothing.

You sat at the windowsill, staring below your dangling feet at the ground so far away. Your leg throbbed, memories of a sickening crunch resurfacing for a moment before you buried them again.

You were better than that now. It would take more than a fall to bring you down.

You slid down the wall until you reached a safe distance and pushed off. You did your best to land in the grass, making no sound besides a rustle.

As for outdoor guards... luckily, your parents deemed the city's security enough. You slipped past the large metal gate and never looked back.

I'm so stupid. Sabo thought to himself, sitting on the crow's nest of their hideout. He didn't want to wake the others in case he decided to bash his thick head into a wall.

He thought over his words, trying to figure out what exactly set you off so he knew how to apologise when you came back. You had to come back.

Ace noticed Sabo's mood, the way his gaze lingered on the gate as if expecting you to magically appear. Even Luffy noticed! But he made it worse by constantly asking questions like when you'd come back and if you'd bring more yummy food.

They probably hate me. He dropped his head back onto the wooden flagpole. Ignore the way his heart ached at the thought of you looking at him with cold eyes.

He wanted you here. He wanted you to stay by his side while he set out to explore the world. He wanted you to be the first on his crew. It all seemed impossible now. It had been months since your last visit. He didn't know if you even wanted to see him.

As you said before, you would've found a way. You would've reached out. You knew where he was.

Dammit. He buried his face in his arms. He didn't want to cry, but tears were already soaking his sleeves.

Dammit. You ducked behind a crate as patrol ran by. They were in a rush, murmuring about finding someone. The anxious part of your brain said that you'd been discovered, the rational part explained why it was unlikely.

You dug around in your bag for your cloak. You remembered the first time you took Sabo to the Grey Terminal. That felt like forever ago.

You slipped it on quickly. The shadows were your best ally, allowing you to avoid the hurried gaze of soldiers as they searched the streets.

You didn't get cocky, even when the Great Gate was finally within reach. There was a whole mini-army standing guard, not a single blind spot.

You needed to make an opening. You needed a distraction.

...

Fire? Yeah, fire would do.

It was only a walk. Sabo found himself drawn to the gate. He had to fight the urge to go through and break into your house. Security has been steadily tightening, enough that a trip into town always ended in disaster.

That's when he saw it: thick clouds of smoke, only visible by cloaking the stars in the sky. The smell hit soon after. Something's burning.

He watched guards scramble, standing right around the corner. What happened? Did it matter?

Now was his chance... He could go to you.

But he froze.

The thought of how you, someone he cared deeply about, would look at him after months. He wasn't sure what would be worse, you hating him, or you treating him like a stranger. Was he even welcome? Maybe this was your choice.

Too slow. You scolded yourself as your hold your burned hand to your chest. You had just barely escaped the guard, now you were running for the gate. Nobody would care who came and went in the middle of the night when there was a disaster.

Your feet hit the cobble loud and hard, no longer concealing your presence. This was your last chance.

You could see the other side. You could see someone standing there, waiting, a metal pipe in hand. Sabo?

The wind was knocked out of your chest before you could even utter his name. You were dragged back by your cloak and thrown to the ground,

Not again. You grabbed a discarded bottle from a pile of trash, turned around, and slammed it into the guard's face. He fell back and you got up, but it was too late.

"Over here!"

There was too much attention. I have to make it. More guards blocked your way. I can't stay here. You couldn't get past all of them.

Soon enough, you were surrounded.

One man raised his gun, stopped by another. "Don't shoot! They came from inside."

Your head whipped around as you looked for an out. One gap, one weakness, anything.

Your arm was grabbed, the grip too strong to break free from.

"It's a kid!" You heard someone else call out before they grabbed your other arm.

"Let go!" You shouted, kicking at them, only to be lowered to the floor forcefully. You refused to go down like this. You kicked, thrashed, bit whoever was in range.

"Get off of me, I swear I'll kick your asses!" Your threats fell on deaf ears. Maybe they didn't hear you over the sounds of chaos you'd orchestrated nearby.

But maybe, if you were loud enough, and that really was Sabo... Maybe he'd hear you. He could... do something. Anything! You couldn't go back, not when you were this close.

"SA—" Pain shot through your skull, your vision swam. You barely registered the hit until your head fell to the ground and your body went limp.

Sabo.

You sat in a small boat, the only notable feature being the pirate flag hanging proudly from its mast. The ocean was perfectly still, like you were sailing through a sheet of ice. There was no sun, no clouds, no birds, and no one else.

But you heard voices. Familiar arguing shook the water. You leaned over the edge, watching the ripples form but seeing no reflection, only fire consuming the deep.

You forgot why the fire made you restless, why you wanted to jump into it. Then you heard your name shouted out.

You saw people just beneath the surface trying to escape the flames, begging for their lives. You saw three young boys be surrounded without ever knowing what was going on.

"No," You whispered, reaching out until you were falling off the boat. But you didn't care. You'd jump to save them again.

You crashed into the water. Your body froze, eyelids glued shut as if you suddenly realised the weight of your body.

You sank until you realised you were never falling.

You heard arguing before your eyes were even open. You were in bed, not yours. The bright white lights clued you in on where you were and what happened. You failed.

Your parents argued with soldiers, including the one they had hired, right beside you with no regard for your actual need for quiet rest.

You sat up, uncomfortable with the cold sweat clinging to your body. Your burned hand was covered in bandages, your face too. Painful reminders.

Now what?

"Good luck with that," You sat on his bed, feet kicked up, reading a book—about islands in the sky—that told a much more believable tale than Sabo.

"I'm serious! This time for sure!" Sabo stomped his foot. You didn't care enough to give him a proper reaction.

He's been saying the same thing every time you've visited. At the end of the day, he'd always come back.

"Sure. Just don't forget your hat, or your shoelaces, or bandages, or your favourite pen." You mocked his past excuses, flipping the page.

Sabo huffed, his face going red. "I won't. You'll see." He grabbed his hat off his desk and climbed up onto the window. He hesitated when he looked down. Why was the ground moving?

"If you fall and die, your parents will kill me." You called out boredly, flipping the book shut. You were still older and technically responsible for him.

"Just watch." He dangled both his feet off the edge, his small hands braced on either side of him on the windowsill, trembling.

You walked up behind him with a mischievous smile. Sabo felt a shiver run up his spine, as if sensing your ill intent. He turned around in time to see you poke his side.

He screamed and flinched, banging his head on the raised window. "What was that for!?" He shouted, reaching to poke you back. With only one hand bracing himself, he lost his balance. It was only when he slipped off the ledge that you stopped laughing.

"Careful!" You reached out and tried to pull him back in, but too much of your body had been leaning out of the window.

Sabo didn't remember much of the fall—he'd shut his eyes through it, thinking he was actually going to die.

Apparently, you had enough instinct to shield his head and try to land in the bushes. You did, but not without its cost. He heard a sickeningly loud crack followed by a scream.

When Sabo opened his eyes, you were crying, and his parents were rushing out, panicking at the sight of blood. He forgot you could cry, that you were just another kid. He didn't even process his mother's nails digging into his arm as he was pulled away.

It was strange not seeing you in his room the next day. It was a bad quiet. It was empty. Sabo was grounded, his windows and door locked for the foreseeable future. Whenever he tried to ask about you, he'd get screamed at and dragged back to his room by the ear.

He just wanted to know if you were okay or not—if you'd ever come back.

His father spent most of his time in his study, pacing, thinking of how to repair the relationship between your families. His mother did the same, but in the bedroom, wondering how she was going to socially recover from this.

Sabo sat in his room, ignoring the heavy feeling in his chest in favour of reading. It was the only thing that could distract him long enough to forget your cries. His parents stopped bothering to remind him to study, but he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He'd come to associate it with your presence.

Weeks passed.

"I feel bad," He overheard the servants outside his door. Gossip was his only access to the outside world. He sat with his ear pressed against the wood and his arms wrapped around himself.

"For the kid or the young master?"

"A bit of both. Mostly the kid. Did you hear they broke their leg? Poor thing."

Sabo hugged himself tighter. Why did you have to protect him? It was his idea to jump out the window, so why was he unscathed?

"Do you have word on their parents' reactions?"

"None yet, but from how the madam has been speaking about it… Not good. I doubt they'll ever visit again."

Sabo stopped listening. The more he heard, the worse he felt. He ran over to his wardrobe—his favourite hat hidden right at the top. You'd caught him trying to reach it the first time you visited. But he'd grown since then; it was no longer a struggle.

He'd found a way to unlock his window—a lockpicking technique hidden in one of the books you'd brought over.

This time, he was sure. I'm running away. Hesitance is what led to you getting hurt, so he wouldn't do that anymore.

You got the news a week later, almost a month after you'd broken your leg.

"That little devil ran away," Your mother stated, crossing her arms.

Good for him, was the first thought that came to mind.

Were you mad? Absolutely—at least, you told yourself you were. But not about the leg. It was kind of your fault for messing with him in such a dangerous spot. You were pissed that he didn't bother with a goodbye after everything you'd done for him.

Despite that, and despite the fact that your parents were fuming, you couldn't think of him with hatred.

You knew he'd be fine. If not on his own, then those he'd come to know at the Grey Terminal could be his crutches until he was ready.

But the feeling of bitterness, from being abandoned, lingered. He hadn't visited, didn't even make an attempt! He could've just thrown a rock at your window, or left a letter—he knew where you lived.

"Stupid kid," You mumbled to yourself after your mother had left the room. You were in bed, your leg in its comedically large cast propped up on a pillow while you studied.

You promised yourself the moment you got out of that cast, you'd chase him down. That's if your mother would ever let you out of her sight.

She'd gotten more obnoxious since the incident.

I knew that family was no good. Please! All that talk about 'role models' was just to have you babysit for free. They clearly didn't raise that freakish boy right. I knew he was bad for you.

At least you still had your image.

Sabo was the misbehaving seven-year-old boy who jumped out of a window based on a silly whim. You were the older kid who heroically leapt out to save him from injury, only to get injured yourself.

Fun.

You groaned and pushed your books away, flopping down onto your pillow. Being stuck in one place was never your style. If the injury didn't kill you, the boredom would.

Half a year later, you were allowed out unsupervised for the first time since the accident. You found yourself instinctively wandering towards Edge Town. Despite the crime, the Grey Terminal offered more of a home than yours ever did.

Besides, you were sure a certain blonde kid would be there. His parents had tried to stop the rumours from spreading, but everyone knew that their only son had run away. He was replaced pretty quickly with some other kid you couldn't stand.

Good thing you were banned from their household.

While walking past the Great Gate and through the mountains of trash in the Grey Terminal, you'd noticed two men following you. You may not have been in the best condition to fight, but you had a knife in your pocket.

Still, you'd rather avoid getting injured, so you tried to lose them. You ducked behind large barrels, shacks, and sped up to the best of your abilities.

That only pushed them to pursue you faster.

A large, scarred hand landed on your shoulder, pulling you back. "Huh, you're not that kid…" The man grumbled when he saw your face beneath the hood. Is he looking for someone?

You reached your hand into your pocket, but the other man grabbed you before you could do any damage.

Shit. You mentally calculated how hard you'd need to kick their family jewels for them to buckle over in pain and give you an out.

"Hey, you know a blonde kid with a top hat?"

Now where have you heard that before? You tried not to let recognition show on your expression—you were always good at control. "No."

"Y'sure?" The man drew his sword. "He and his friend stole some cash from us. We just wanna talk to him." He laughed, resting the blade on his shoulder. You noticed the men had matching arm bands—a gang? Maybe pirates...

But their words held your interest. You almost couldn't believe it. Sabo? Stealing? The most unbelievable part was the comment about a friend. He had the charisma of a rat. They had to be talking about someone else.

"I gave you my answer." You mumbled, tugging gently to see if they'd let up. They didn't.

"Then maybe you have some cash you can lend us. See, our boss isn't a nice guy. Don't you wanna help us out? You're a good kid, right?" He spoke to you in a mocking tone you hadn't heard since you were five, leaning close enough for you to smell his fishy breath.

There was no way you were getting out of this without a fight. You thought you'd get the first hit in.

CRACK!

The man jolted back, clutching his nose where you'd headbutted him as hard as possible. The other man went to draw his sword, but you were faster. You aimed where it mattered and watched him scream like a goat as his eyes teared up.

Then you ran for it.

And oh how it hurt. The strain on your unused leg was unbearable. Your muscles ached like this was your first time running. You didn't think you could make it to the gate in time.

You didn't.

They caught up, grabbing the end of your cloak and shoving you to the ground.

"You little shit!" The man mumbled, his nose dripping blood onto your cheek as he leaned over you.

Gross. You tried to break free, but he knew not to underestimate you now. His friend caught up, limping. You tried not to laugh.

"You're gonna pay for that!" He raised his blade, and it finally hit you that you weren't going to get away. This was it.

You shut your eyes tightly, waiting for the impact, refusing to beg or scream when you knew nobody would come.

You never felt the cold edge of a sword touch your skin. You did, however, hear the cartoonishly loud sound of metal meeting skull. Twice.

When you raised your head, you saw two little boys running away into the distance. One wearing a painfully familiar blue coat with a goofy top hat. So he was alive... WAIT. Why was he running!?

That little… Sure, he saved you, but you still needed to give him a piece of your mind.

"SABO!" You called out, jumping up to your feet to run after him. It only made him run faster, his 'friend' yelling at him.

You were struck with an idea. It was a gamble, but it was the only way you could think to make him stop. You 'tripped' over a broken chair and landed on a sheet of metal as loudly as you could, screaming, "OW!"

As expected, Sabo skidded to a halt. You heard his footsteps approach and opened your eyes to see him leaning over you with a worried expression.

"Are you—"

You grabbed him by his collar and threw him over your shoulder. "Asshole!" He looked stunned as his world spun, his back hitting the metal right beside you.

"What was that for!?" He rubbed his head, sitting up.

"Not once did you bother to see me after I broke my leg!" You poked his chest with a scowl. "And then you just vanished! Without saying a word or even saying goodbye. You knew where I lived, you could've come!"

"I didn't—" Sabo didn't know where to start. "But I told you I was running—"

"That doesn't count! You never went through with those." You smacked his shoulder, hard.

Sabo didn't flinch, didn't dodge. He'd sort of missed this. He was afraid you'd be angrier at him for hurting you physically, not emotionally.

Before he knew it, he was smiling. Laughing.

"What's so funny?" You asked, trying to calm your breathing after all that exertion.

"I thought you didn't care about me!" Sabo huffed between laughs.

Oh? This was new. The Sabo you knew before would never say something so cheeky. "I don't. It's a matter of principle!" You excused, but knew he wouldn't buy it. You did care about him, and you were sure he did too. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stopped.

"Oi, Sabo." The other boy around his height approached. A scowl was carved on his face, making him look older than he probably was. "Is this that person you always tal—"

"AAAH!" Sabo jumped to his feet and pressed his hands to his friend's mouth.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was going to say. Before you could tease him, you saw a group running towards you, wearing the same arm bands as the men who were looking for Sabo.

"Wha—"

"Gotta go!" This time, Sabo didn't run from you. He must've thought you actually got hurt when you fake-tripped, because before you knew it, he was lifting you up onto his back.

You didn't think he could—you were still a fair bit taller than him. Living out here must've made him stronger. Good thing he was busy running, or else he would've seen the stunned look on your face as you were hauled up. It was a little embarrassing. Just a little.

"Did we lose them?" Sabo's friend, who you now know is called Ace, asked.

"Yeah, around the first river you guys jumped over." You'd been keeping an eye out so they could focus on running.

Sabo was careful when he put you down against a tree. "Are you alright?" You were still surprised he was able to carry you AND run this deep into the woods. Then again, he didn't look like a baby any more.

Besides the wear and tear on his clothes, he was covered in minor scratches and bruises. His hands, still little, were rough from work and wielding a rusty metal pipe. The scariest part was that he was smiling more than you'd ever seen before.

He really is happier here.

"I'm fine." You got up, brushing the dirt off your clothes. He was acting mature, but you couldn't help but see that shy, little boy who clung to your sleeve when he was scared.

You glanced at Ace, who was leaning against a tree, looking back towards the Grey Terminal, as if waiting for the men to show their faces again.

"So, are you going to introduce me to your little friend?" You whispered to Sabo. He tensed but turned to Ace.

"Him?" Sabo smiled. You were starting to get used to the look. "That's Ace! We're both going to be pirates together once we save up enough money." He sounded hopeful, but not like someone assuming everything will turn out okay. But like someone who actually had a plan.

"Oh, is that why you stole from those guys?"

Sabo opened his mouth to respond when—

"Sabo!" Ace called out loudly, startling both of you. "You're telling them too much." He didn't seem to trust you, even if Sabo did. You couldn't blame him, you were a stranger.

"But…"

"It's alright," you flicked the end of his hat with a smile. "I'm glad you're making friends. I didn't think you had it in you!"

"HUH? What's that supposed to mean!?"

There he is, you thought. The familiar little stomp, him crossing his arms. Some things never change.

When night fell, Sabo offered to escort you back to the great gate. You were a little grateful—you couldn't exactly navigate the forest. You'd never been out this far.

But the disappointment on Sabo's face as he watched you go was hard to ignore.

That night, he found himself sleeping on a tree branch.

"Hey." Ace appeared out of nowhere. Sabo bit his cheek and nearly slipped off the branch.

He blinked in confusion as he climbed back up, "Aren't you supposed to go back now?" It was far too late for Ace to be out here. That Dadan he was always talking about was probably waiting for him.

Ace didn't answer. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree and looked up. The branch was big enough for both of them to sit side by side, so Sabo mimicked his action. They sat in silence until Sabo's thoughts became too loud to contain.

"Do you think… that they'd want to be a pirate too?" He found himself muttering, looking up at the stars.

"No," Ace huffed without hesitation. "If they did, they would've stayed or at least said they wanted to."

Sabo's chest felt heavy, but he nodded. He had run away. You were older—if you really wanted to, you could've done that too. Maybe you were fine with having a stuffy life. You were always good at playing that role, no matter how much he knew you hated it too.

"I guess you're right." Sabo tucked his knees to his chest, his gaze dropping to the ground.

"But…" Ace sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If they do want to, I wouldn't mind letting them join us." He couldn't bear to see Sabo look so defeated. He knew you were important to him, he knew, at some point, you had taken care of Sabo. And he trusted the blonde's judgement, he wouldn't be close with someone bad.

"Really?" Sabo perked up, leaning closer to Ace. "If I can convince them, could they join our crew?"

Ace smiled and shoved him away, "Yeah, sure. IF you can."

"I will!" Sabo was confident in that.

"I often find him wasting his day with other activities besides studying. We don't have the time to manage him ourselves."

"I could ask the servants to keep an eye on him."

His father laughed, "Like those commonfolk would know the difference between study and play. They're only good for housework."

Sabo held his pyjama sleeve tighter. He didn't want someone hovering over him, he didn't want to study, he didn't want any of this. He knew there was a big world out there. Why couldn't he get to see it?

"I know!" He heard his mother clap, like she always did when she had an idea. "An acquaintance of mine has a child, a little older than Sabo, but far more proper and mature. She's never had any issues with them."

His father went quiet in thought. "A babysitter?"

"A role model," It made it look less like they were dumping parenting responsibilities on another kid, and it sounded much better when talking to other nobles.

Sabo picked himself up and tiptoed to his room, resisting the urge to slam the door behind him. He jumped into bed and groaned, pulling the pillow over his face.

What a nightmare, Sabo thought with a pout. He'd met other noble kids. They were annoying and acted just as spoiled as their stupid parents. Knowing his mum and dad, they'd go through with the plan, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Sabo was dragged out of bed before the sun finished rising. His mother ordered the maids to brush down his hair and make him look 'presentable'. He felt like a doll stuck playing dress-up.

Sabo yawned, rubbing his eyes with his free hand while his mother tugged him along by the other. She hadn't told him the plan, just that they were meeting with someone special.

He wasn't very good at hiding how he felt, a big frown on his face as his mother slowed to a stop outside a cafe. A woman sitting on one of the tables outside waved them over.

Sabo stared at the ground as he was pulled along and plopped into a seat.

His mother pinched his hand under the table, her way of saying "fix your face". He jolted and rubbed the sore spot, looking up. He forced a thin smile.

"I'm so sorry about my son," His mother laughed, her hand moving to his shoulder in a way that made her look loving. "He's shy."

"I can see that," The other woman reached over to pinch his cheek. Sabo didn't fight it, no matter how annoyed he was.

While the ladies yapped, he looked over at the other kid across the table who was already staring at him. Their outfit, tailored to match their mother's, was ironed perfectly. Every detail, down to their hair and accessories, was meticulously planned. Even their expression was controlled.

Their parents must love them. He thought bitterly.

Sabo hadn't heard a word of what his mother was saying until she was patting his arm, clearly repeating herself, "Go on, introduce yourself." She hissed into his ear, maintaining that cheery expression.

Sabo gulped and stood up. No matter how he did it, she would find something to be upset about—something he screwed up.

He bowed, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my name is Sabo." The little cap he had been forced to wear slipper off his head.

You embarrassed me! He could already hear his mother's voice in his head. He braced himself.

The hat didn't hit the floor. Sabo lifted his head, watching as the other kid caught it and put it back on him.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sabo." They smiled and held their hand out, introducing themself.

Show off. Sabo thought as he shook their hand.

"I will send someone to collect them in the evening. Do call if you need anything," Your mother nudged you forward into the strange house.

You couldn't believe you were stuck babysitting some snot-nosed brat. That blonde kid was practically still a toddler with how he was stumbling about when you first met. You couldn't believe he was only a few years younger than you.

You almost forgot you were still expected to act like your 'perfect' self, snapping out of your thoughts. Honestly, playing the role of a golden child was easier than being the disappointment. At least they stopped hitting you.

"Thank you for having me," You bowed politely. Shambo—or whatever his name was—'s mother squealed in delight, welcoming you into her home warmly. Your own mother couldn't wait to have you out of her hair, running off.

The servants took your coat. You were three seconds into the entryway and already being offered snacks and drinks, but you didn't trust them enough yet, politely declining. The boy's mother took you upstairs and knocked on a large wooden door.

No response.

His mother knocked again, and you were starting to think nobody told Goldilocks you were coming. He probably slept in—it was pretty early after all.

"Excuse me one second," You recognised the look on the woman's face. A strained smile with twitching brows. You could practically see the veins popping out on her hands.

As much as you didn't want to be here, you weren't going to let him get beat because of you.

"It's alright, ma'am." You smiled and stepped forward. "You wanted me here to help, right? Let me take it from here; you deserve a break." Please buy it.

Your flowery words calmed her down—delighted her even. "What a sweetheart you are! Sabo could learn a lot from you."

Oh right, Sabo was his name. Good to know. "I'll do my best." You smiled until she walked out of sight.

You sighed and barged into the kid's room, swinging the door open abruptly.

The little boy, who had been precariously balancing on a stack of books on a chair near a wardrobe, stumbled. "WoOAhwooAAAAH!" A crash and thud rang through the house.

You shut the door, confused. "What are you doing??"

Sabo pulled a book off his face and sat up. "T-That's none of your business." His tone made it pretty clear that neither of you wanted to be here.

You walked over and grabbed him by the arm, pulling him to his feet. "I'm gonna be here all day whether we like it or not, so just deal with it." With no adults around, you didn't need to pretend to be nice, your voice taking on a harsher tone.

Sabo's jaw hung slightly, wondering where that prim and proper personality had gone.

You let go of him, looking around the room. It was mostly clean, except for the mess you'd watched him make. The walls were lined with shelves reaching the ceiling, leaving no room for any other decor.

Your mother had briefly explained what you had to do. Make sure he studied, show him how he was supposed to act, and basically make him better. She said it would be good to mingle with other families, but you knew she just wanted you to get dirt on the family if possible.

"You're bad at studying, right?" You turned to Sabo, who was picking up the books from the floor. "Show me the books you're studying. You're probably doing it all wrong."

"I am NOT!" Who did you think you were barging into his room, telling him how to do things?

You crossed your arms. "Well then, why am I here?"

He didn't have anything to say to that. He bit his cheek, crossing his arms to try to look all tough.

This kid… He wasn't going to make this easy. "Look, this sucks. It's stuffy and annoying, but there's nothing you can do about it. You can either fit in or fuck off."

Sabo gasped. "You— You said—"

Oops. He probably hadn't heard much of that language around these parts, let alone said it. "Don't be dramatic. I'm older than you anyway, I'm allowed to say that." You hopped the casual act meant he wouldn't snitch.

You grabbed a book off his desk, "Let's start with this, shall we?"

They're not too bad. Sabo thought as you read the book out to him—Basics in Algebra. It was really hard, but apparently, noble kids had to learn it by six. He hated maths; it never clicked with him. He would rather spend his day reading books that use letters to make words instead of equations.

You snapped your fingers in front of him. "Hey, focus." You handed the book to him and pointed at the bottom of the page. Practise questions.

Sabo groaned, flopping backwards onto the ground. "Do I HAVE to?"

You tossed a pen onto his head. "Yes. We can take a break afterwards."

"Break?" His parents didn't give him breaks. He was expected to study from sunup to sundown. It was the only way he'd possibly reach the royal standard by marrying age. You'd both get in trouble if he were caught playing. "We can't." He mumbled, picking the pen up.

"Of course we can."

"No, we can't. You don't get it." Your parents probably let you do whatever you wanted.

"I do. You're just dumb."

What was he saying about you not being too bad? Scratch that, Sabo still hated you. "Yeah? Well— Well you're only smarter 'cause you're older! It's not fair."

"Seriously?" You stood up, dusting off your clothes. "I figured this out when I was your age." You pointed at the questions. "Finish this, and you'll see."

You stormed out of the room. Sabo made sure the door was shut before he stuck his tongue out.

He was in shock.

Sabo stood in front of his house, dressed in outdoor clothes, while you were talking with his mother about what time you should be back.

He was actually getting a break.

"I'll make sure he stays focused." You hummed with that gross smile that made all the grown-ups swoon. Sabo hadn't been sure if too sweet existed. It did, and it was plastered all over your face.

The front door shut. You turned to face Sabo just as he was making a fake-gagging motion. He froze when you caught him.

"I saw that!" You smacked his shoulder faster than he could dodge. "You should be grateful. I'm helping you out." You grabbed his hand and started walking out, passing the front gate and onto the cobbled streets.

Sabo kept his head down whenever he passed kids who knew him. It was embarrassing being dragged around like he was some kid. But whenever he tried to pull his hand back, you'd tug harder and say something about him getting lost.

"How come everyone likes you when you're so mean?" He grumbled, not expecting an answer.

"Me? Mean? I would never." You mocked. "Ask anyone I know, I'm an angel."

He whispered. "Yeah, if Lucifer counts."

You kicked him. He learned to just shut up and take it. You didn't hit as hard as either of his parents, it felt playful—and very deserved.

"Think of it as acting. It only matters what people think they see. If everyone thinks you're perfect, then you are, and you get all the perks of it!"

That sounded boring to Sabo. He didn't want to pretend to be someone else just to please other people. "There has to be another way…"

You, surprisingly, didn't make fun of him. Instead, you hummed thoughtfully and continued down the road. "You could always run away."

Sabo's heart stuttered at that. He'd thought of it—basically fantasised about it day and night.

Running away and being anything else, someone free, a pirate. But where would he go from home? The Grey Terminal was crawling with criminals who wouldn't hesitate to kill kids. That's what his parents had told him. Could he trust their word?

You pulled him aside into a gap between two buildings and started rummaging around old boxes.

"What are you— Ack!" Sabo coughed as a dusty piece of cloth was thrown on his face.

"Put this on." You had one just like it—a cloak. You put it on and covered your face.

Sabo stood there, confused. Why was this kid always clueless?! You were running out of patience, so you grabbed it and shoved it over his head. "Just hurry, we need to go and be back before dark."

You pushed the hood over his face and went off into a thick crowd. You didn't grab him. Did you mean to do that? Sabo was reaching for your sleeve before he could stop himself. You didn't comment on it, letting him hold onto you.

Sabo was on edge—pun intended. He never came near Edge Town, and you were walking him right through it as if…

He paused in front of the Great Gate. "Wait, wait." He pulled you back. "We can't go there. We— We'll die."

"Is that what your parents told you?" You asked, pushing your hood up to get a better look at him. "Well, alright then. If you're such a scaredy-cat, we can go back." You sighed, shaking your head. "I guess I was wrong to think you're more than just some little kid."

Sabo made a face. He wasn't a scaredy-cat. He was a whole six years old! How dare you! "I never said I won't go!" He pushed off of you and crossed his arms, trying to appear strong. It didn't help that his legs were shaking.

"Good," You smiled expectantly and walked towards the Grey Terminal. Sabo only hesitated for a few seconds before running after you.

He didn't make eye contact with the guards nor the criminals. He wasn't sure how you looked so calm when he felt his heart sweating and his soul leaving his body.

The stench hit him quickly—rust and smoke, something sweet and burning in the distance. It made his stomach churn and his eyes water. Their air was warm, thick, and oozed through his nose.

He was going to cover the cloak over his mouth, but you didn't even react at the stench, and he didn't wanna look weak. He sucked it up (and held his breath instead).

By the time you stopped, his face was turning blue.

You suddenly perked up and waved, "Hey, pops!" He looked ahead and saw a group of people sitting around a tyre fire. Sabo watched in surprise as you ran over and jumped onto a pile of trash beside a wrinkled sack of skin that vaguely looked human.

"Ah, there you are! You're late." The old man smiled, patting your head. Sabo froze when he looked at him standing off to the side. "Who's your little friend?"

You turned to Sabo and frowned. "He's a kid I got stuck babysitting." Sabo didn't know these people, but they looked cool, and you were embarrassing him in front of them. His ears went red.

The old man gestured Sabo closer. It's not like he had anywhere else to go, so he listened. "Would you like to hear a story?" That caught his attention.

"What kind of story?" Sabo asked, now standing beside the man.

"I used to be a pirate, you know…"

If Sabo could, he would stay there all day. Books had nothing against stories straight from the source. The old man regaled them with tales of thrilling adventures, high seas, and monsters he'd never heard of. A world he'd never seen. A world of freedom.

He only realised how dark it was when you pointed it out. "We have to get going now." You bowed to the old man, the first genuine sign of respect Sabo had seen from you. "Thanks a lot."

"You know I love to talk," The old man laughed, pulling out a flask and taking a long swig.

"But you didn't finish the story! How did you escape from that sea king's belly?" Sabo's eyes shone brightly as he leaned forward.

"If you come back tomorrow, I'll tell you." He gave the little boy a wink, but he wasn't amused. "Run along now."

Before Sabo could complain, you left. "Hey! Wait for me!" He ran after you, not realising how tired he'd gotten.

You slowed down as he caught up, watching him rub his eyes. Did you pity him? A little. But it was funny to watch him keep up his big boy act even now.

"If your mother asks, we went downtown so I could teach you about trade and socialising." You weren't sure if he heard you. By the time he made it to your side, he was falling asleep on your arm.

"Stupid kid." You mumbled as you carefully picked him up on your back, letting his head flop onto your shoulder. You weren't necessarily strong; he was just little.

You woke him up before you arrived at his house. His mother would probably fuss about him working you or being impolite if she saw you carrying him. He'd thank you later.

You put him down on a bench and fixed up his clothes, brushing dirt off his face. You didn't have to do this—you didn't have to care, but you did. He never would've thought a noble kid would go out of their way to interact with people their parents said were "lesser".

He didn't want the day to end. "Are you coming again tomorrow?" He asked as you finished adjusting his collar.

"I think so," You helped him up off the bench. "My mum said I'll be your role model until you're a proper member of society." You put on a funny voice and rolled your eyes, making him laugh.

"Then I'll keep being bad so they bring you."

"Haahh? That won't work!" You dug your knuckles into his head. "If they don't see you improve, they'll think I'm not helping at all."

"Okay, okay!" He pushed your hand off. He could try to behave, but after his taste of freedom today… he doubted he would. "No promises."