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cheswirls · 5 years ago

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it’s your extension (let me extend) 6/6

sabo climbs into the backseat, and shanks squints at him from the rearview mirror.

“isn’t that ace’s?” he asks, gesturing to the cord wrapped around sabo’s wrist.

he looks down at it, humming. “i’m just holding onto it.”

sabo can’t sleep that night.

he feels like he’s missing something, and it keeps him up.

he wanders into the kitchen the next morning, eyes dry and red, and makino looks at him with concern. she gets up from her place at the table for two, letting sabo sit across from shanks.

“you look terrible,” he notes.

sabo hums, not enough energy mustered to form a snarky comeback.

“you . . are going to do great today!” shanks says next, switching tactics when he notices makino’s stare from the sink. “fuck those people from yesterday. today you’ve got this!”

he heads off before too long, leaving sabo at the table alone. makino heads out too, leaving sabo to watch micah while she worked her day shift. not that he minded. he was there for the week, and this was the least he could do.

he switches with shanks around midday, and comes back to the redhead in the exact spot he’d left him.

“how’d it go?” shanks asks, and sabo’s lips quirk down.

“i picked a more competitive career than i thought,” he mutters.

he crashes for a few hours and wakes up as the sun is setting, mind still set on something he can’t seem to remember.

he doesn’t sleep again.

early, the next morning, sabo decides he’s had enough. he gets out of bed, giving up on sleep, and turns on his desk lamp.

makino is in the kitchen. she looks tired. she doesn’t look surprised to find sabo there, messing with the old coffeemaker. instead of questioning, she pulls out two mugs and a carton of eggs.

sabo fills up both and takes one back to his room, closing the door softly. he sets it at his desk, and a minute later he’s hefting all twenty of his notebooks right next to it.

sabo’s never really read through his logs. there’s never been a need. he’s never forgotten.

but there’s a gap. one he hadn’t noticed until now.

and he hates forgetting.

so he steels himself, divides the stack in two to see the light, and begins flipping through the first notebook before the sun has thought to rise for the day.

he’s a third of the way through notebook nine when he pauses, hand going through the motions to flip the page and freezing, and he peels it back to still find something unusual written, uncertain now that it wasn’t his tired mind trying to pull a trick on him.

he marks the page and rises from his seat, digging around until he finds an old sketchbook, all but one of the pages ripped from the spiral, stacked loosely inside.

it’s the one attached that he’s interested in.

“who are you,” he mumbles, reading the sprawling script, near covering the entire page, aloud.

“quit writing in my sketchbook.”

“surely one page is fine.”

he pauses, continues, voice picking up, heart rate steadily increasing.

“this isn’t a dream, y’know.”

his coffee has gone cold, so he sets it on the corner of the old wood, not willing to get up and leave his reading to warm it.

he’s missing days in the notebook. well, he is. they’re there, after a spell. just in a different handwriting, a different format.

he has trouble reading them, at first, because it’s very hard to process. but the more he does, the more dread and wonder pool in his stomach, as he realizes the impossibilities of him doing this to himself, playing some sort of trick years in the making. this person, this ace, was undeniably different, and was taking control of sabo’s life every other day.

sabo’s notes weren’t very interesting, usually. it was either long, unending paragraphs ranting or rambling about the day, or neat, precise notes for more uneventful times. but, after ace started leaving entries, sabo’s changed.

he still wrote for the sake of logging, yes, but now the margins were filled. certain things, reminders for tests or important events, were more bolded and circled, easy to catch. like that was the point, to get someone to notice. he finds himself reading the notes more closely than his own entries.

please set my alarm from now on. at least three of them. preferably all five.

quit writing all over my face!! i get it!

i finished that report. just print it out and bring it, please.

sorry if you wake up tired. had a long night.

yeah, sorry. here’s the password.

if i have to scrub ink from my face one more time i swear ace portgas i will take permanent marker to your eyebrows.

let’s make this easier for ourselves. if we write about what we did when we switch, it won’t matter that we weren’t there. we’ll be all caught up for the next day.

we didn’t switch again.

sabo blinks. he turns to the next page, again met by his own handwriting.

we still haven’t switched. i’ve been drawing, what i could remember. it’s funny, i just realized today that i don’t even know where he lives. somewhere in japan, in the corvo mountains. but it’s a big mountain range. there are a lot of settlements. i draw everything i can remember. the old vending machine out near the high school. the view of the mountains from the lake’s shore. the inside of garp’s craft room. my calls still aren’t going through. i try and convince myself that the number’s not wrong, but every time i try again, it ends the same. i tried texting, but it didn’t send.

it’s weird. after that night, after i finally convinced myself how i felt, that i really well.

and then it all stopped. like it really was a dream. except, i still have his cord. i wear it all the time, like i’m afraid it’ll disappear too, if i leave it alone for too long. i can’t lose it. i can’t lose anything else.

i don’t want to believe i’ve lost him, either.

the next entry he finds worth to note is only a sentence long. it’s the shortest one he’s ever seen.

i’m going to find him tomorrow.

he turns the page. the next entry is marked a few days after that, after he’d come home, apparently. if he ever left at all.

he bites on his lip, moving the page corner between his fingers, flipping back and forth as if the missing entries would magically appear.

he sighs after they don’t, leaning back in his chair and throwing his head back.

out his window, through the blinds, it’s lighter. he blinks tiredly at it, trying to process this fact.

muffled crying from further in the apartment breaks his train of thought. sabo sits up, leans over the desk, and grabs the coffee cup, intent on refilling it before he read through the other half of the stack.

as he’s standing, though, his gaze falls to his wrist, and his feet fall still. he stares.

the red cord from the other night is still wrapped around his arm.

sabo meets robin one day for coffee, because she’s in the city by chance, and he’s looking for something to do.

he’d already had coffee that morning, but he definitely wasn’t passing up the chance for more.

makino had turned the machine off on him after his fourth cup, and even as she left to take micah on a walk, he hadn’t the courage to turn it back on.

shanks had woken up and walked in on him still mulling over his notebooks, this time with the added bonus of all his sketches laid out across his desk. he’d quietly closed the door after seeing sabo had spend yet another night without any sleep, and left for work soon after.

sabo slips into a loose jacket, attempts to flatten his hair that had been ruffled through in his earlier musing, and drains half a bottle of water in hopes of clearing the more gaunt part of his expression.

he thinks it maybe does. somewhat. robin doesn’t bother to mention it, so he doesn’t think about it anymore.

instead, halfway through their light conversation about life as they trekked through the city, he thinks about something else. he casts glances down to his wrist, where the cord was tied, leaning against his coffee cup. robin stops talking and he finally looks up to her questioning gaze. he feels like he’s missed a cue to respond, but instead of trying to figure it out, he throws one back at her.

“hey. when we worked together, did i ever . . . mention an ace portgas?”

robin’s eyes narrow, and she hums, still walking forward. “wasn’t that who you went to go find, that one summer?”

he turns his eyes back to their path, thinking it over. it synced up. so she knew about his trip, the one missing from notebook number nine. entirely.

“did i find him?” he asks, almost scared of his own voice.

“you found fuusha,” robin answers, not the one he wanted, but an answer nonetheless.

sabo gets home and rips his desk drawer open, taking out all the articles on fuusha and lying them across his desk.

they don’t all fit, so he lies them across the floor instead, taking time to examine each of them.

he reads them all carefully, about the comet, about the crash, about the evacuation. fuusha was nestled in the corvo mountains, so it matched up.

wait.

he purses his lips, stands so fast he trips and nearly tumbles over, gripping the back of his desk chair. he swipes notebook nine from the desk, moves to sit back on the floor, and rifles through the pages. there.

by the time your date is over, you’ll be able to see the comet.

the date was the same as miran comet, though the years were different. his eyebrows slant. that was odd. something still wasn’t adding up.

he stands again, another fleeting thought passing through.

“makino,” he mumbles just inside the kitchen doorway.

she looks up, turning away from micah in the highchair.

“can i get luffy monkey’s address?”

this was crazy.

sabo sighs, dropping his hand away from the door for the fourth time. he couldn’t knock. what was he even thinking, coming here? sure, these were the only people from fuusha he knew, but he didn’t really even known them. he’d greeted garp in passing, he’d seen his son once, and he hadn’t even met luffy, that night.

but. he did know the other brother. sort of. at least, he had some connection with him, now.

he drops his raised arm again. but! there were over one thousand people living in fuusha, back before the comet hit! even if they could help him, would they even know the person sabo had been switching bodies with?

he raises his arm before he can think of another excuse to walk off the porch.

the door opens as he’s reaching to knock.

sabo startles back, the door swinging open all the way. a scruffy head of black hair greets him, the boy nearly a whole head shorter than him still bent over to stuff on a pair of shoes. his head raises as he attempts to step forward, finding sabo in his way. he’s met with a wide pair of eyes.

sabo tries to smile, but he’s nervous now, and he doesn’t think he does a very good job. “uh, hi,” he begins. “luffy, right?”

“luffy” picks his hand out of the back of his shoe, letting the leg fall to the ground as he straightens to full height. “yeah. who’re you, though?”

sabo nearly slaps himself. of course. he didn’t even- “i’m sabo.” he offers his hand. “i was here the other night, for your graduation party.”

luffy doesn’t take sabo’s hand, but he stares at it for a long time. he realizes it’s the hand he has the braided cord wrapped around. “oh, that’s-”

“my brother’s,” luffy finishes, looking back up. there’s a new light in his eyes. “you said your name was sabo, right?”

“yeah.” he nods. “is, um. is your brother here?”

a wide smile slowly begins to form on luffy’s face. “no. but i can tell you where he will be.”

[ 6:23 ] ill b home late

[ 6:24 ] you have your key?

[ 6:24 ] yeah

[ 6:27 ] Then i won’t wait up

[ 6:28 ] Take care of yourself

sabo sets his phone facedown, his lips quirking up. he feels around his pockets to make sure he has his key, not wanting to give makino anymore worry. he settles down again when he finds it, fingers pressing into the cool metal.

outside, it starts snowing.

sabo watches it, gaze fixed on the large windows he’s sat in front of. there’s a drink in front of him, steam wafting up. his phone vibrates again.

he picks it up as the tingling bell signals the door opening. the passing conversation catches his attention, though.

“lighten up, kidd. this will be the last one, i swear!”

“you said that the last time.”

sabo sets his phone back down. he tries not to stare, but as they order at the counter, then turn to find a table, he can’t help but watch the pair. he’s certain he’s never seen them before. at least, he doesn’t recognize them. but that name . .

“i just want this wedding to be perfect,” the girl mutters, sat close enough to where sabo can hear.

“i know, lami,” kidd says, ducking forward. the name strikes sabo, again. lami. and kidd.

his eyes narrow. he turns back to the window.

it’s still snowing.

he hikes up his scarf at the thought of venturing out into it, phantom goosebumps rising on his covered skin. his eyes watch as people walk by, the streets still relatively crowded for the hour, considering it was a weekday.

he takes a sip from his drink, content on people-watching.

“-like from fuusha?”

his ears prick as they catch on to the word, and he inclines his head slightly to hear the conversation behind him.

“no. maybe? i . . i don’t know.” a sigh. “i think i just miss it, y’know? it’s that time of year and all.”

sabo blinks, and then his eyes catch on a figure coming across the street. he bends forward, catches sight of dark, mused hair beneath a hood, freckles lined on tanned skin-

the door opens and he reaches out, having chosen the seat nearest to it for a reason. his hand snags in black fabric, right at the elbow, and he holds tight.

the door closes again and sabo looks up, seeing the surprised look just moving off of luffy’s brother’s face, replaced by something more knowing, like he knew exactly who sabo was.

or, his mind supplies, luffy just told him.

he turns to face sabo and the blond releases his sleeve, confident that he’s gained the attention he’d been seeking. carefully, not looking away from the other’s face, he undoes the knot tying the braided cord to his wrist, and holds it out in the space between them.

“you should have this back,” he mumbles. “it’s important to you.”

you’re important to me.

sabo blinks.

freckles reaches out, carefully, and after a moment cups sabo’s hand in both of his own. he’s smiling, now, faint and soft, but definitely still there. his hands are cold around sabo’s.

“thank you,” he says, removing his hands, dragging the cord with them. sabo resists the urge to frown as they leave, suddenly missing their presence. they’re back soon enough, though, as ace holds the cord out length-wise, presents it to sabo. “then, will you tie it for me?”

sabo takes the cord back. his eyes widen. wait-

he looks up. “you never told me your name,” he whispers.

“you already know it.”

“ace?”

“hey, sabo.”

#saboace #SABOACEWEEK2019P2 #acesabo #writing #one piece #iye/lme #hEY if you read all the way thru give this post a like !

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recentanimenews · 5 years ago

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Ranking All 49 One Piece Anime Arcs (Yes, Even The Filler)

On July 7th, the long-awaited Wano arc of One Piece begins, and because we're about to jump into an arc that's been building up for eleven years, I think it's as good a time as any to rank all 49 of the arcs that we have already. And I'm going to include the filler arcs, too, because even though many of them can't really hold a candle to the main narrative, I think a few of them are quite underrated.

49. Buggy's Crew Adventures

This isn't really an arc so much as a sigh of relief after the runaway train of emotion of the last few episodes of Arlong Park. You can laugh at Buggy for a bit after watching Nami's soul get ripped apart (and then put back together again).

48. Post Alabasta

You know video game sidequests that are basically around to level up your specific partner characters so that they don't get immediately wiped out in boss fights? This is the anime filler arc version of that. It's fun, though.

47. Foxy's Return

I loooooove Foxy and I looooove the Davy Back Fight arc. But Foxy's Return doesn't quite hit home. It might be because we last saw Foxy six episodes ago, but it truly speaks to Foxy's character that he'd try to make a grand, dramatic return after he got the crap kicked out of him so recently.

46. Spa Island

Foxy returns again in Spa Island, though this filler arc is mostly notable for the fact that Luffy uses Gear Third to split an artificial island in half. That alone wins this arc points.

45. Warship Island

Warship Island isn't a bad filler arc, just a victim of poor placement. It comes right after Loguetown and right after the Straw Hats have each declared their dreams. So it becomes a pit stop arc, like the Straw Hat crew getting gas and snacks before they head out on the Grand Line.

44. Little East Blue

I like to think of Little East Blue as a celebration of pre time skip One Piece, where the Straw Hats get (deservedly) celebrated for a bit. It's cute and it's a nice prologue to the Strong World movie.

43. Z's Ambition

The filler arcs that precede the movies are an odd bunch, as they tend to end with the main villain of the movie showing up in the last five minutes and declaring their plans. So it's hard to enjoy them on their own. That said, Z's Ambition has enough action that even if you don't watch Film Z (but you should, as it's great), you won't really mind the cliffhanger finale.

42. Straw Hat Separation

After Kuma wiped out the crew, this batch of episodes shows where they all ended up. And it's mainly a montage of Straw Hats being confused. And don't get me wrong—the Straw Hats do confusion like nobody's business. But you get more out of their separation in the Post War arc when they finally get around to business.

41. Diary of Koby-Meppo

Koby is a character that has always deserved more time, so getting a few episodes devoted to him and Helmeppo training to be Marines is welcome. Also, my dude Garp shows up for the first time, which means that I've rewatched these two episodes FAR more than I should.

40. Goat Island

Goat Island doesn't feel as "classic" as G-8, nor is it as entertaining as Ocean's Dream. In fact, it's about as fluffy as the goats that appear in it. But a three episode arc where Chopper talks to goats and Luffy doesn't beat up a villain but rather causes him to get shipwrecked? I'm FOR it.

39. Chopper Man Special

Chopper Man has Chopper in a cape. It's worth it for that. Please @ me. Chopper Man, you're my hero, and I hope you one day get a Chopper Man & Sogeking Save The Grand Line special.

38. Romance Dawn

Romance Dawn establishes a lot of things that will become classic tropes in One Piece: Going to a new island, meeting new crew members, helping out little kids, taking out a power hungry warlord, etc. It's a blueprint arc, and it works well as that. Sadly, the anime would not continue the "introduce a Straw Hat character with rad guitar" idea like they do with Zoro here.

37. Orange Town

The East Blue saga only gets better as it goes along, and Orange Town provides a nice counter to Romance Dawn. For example, if Axe-Hand Morgan represented the seriousness of the Marine threat in the last arc, then Buggy represents the other side of the villains that the Straw Hat Crew will encounter: cartoonish, loud, and beaten in a really fun way.

36. Ruluka Island

Ruluka Island feels like condensed One Piece, like you'd just add some water to turn this four episode arc into a twenty episode one. It's a nice arc to stretch your legs in before you go to the big themes of Jaya.

35. Ice Hunter

Ice Hunter is neat because it gives every member of the Straw Hat crew a little time to shine in a story that is action-packed and intriguing. If you miss pre timeskip One Piece and haven't watched the Ice Hunter arc, give it a shot.

34. Marine Rookie

I know that we're all eager to see the Straw Hats reunite in Wano, but if you want to see more of Whole Cake's Sanji Retrieval Team, the Marine Rookie arc makes for a solid bonus round. Also, the only reason it starts is because Luffy eats all of the Straw Hats' supplies, which, logically, should be the beginning of waaaaay more One Piece arcs.

33. Silver Mine

If you didn't get enough Bartolomeo in Dressrosa, then surprise! They made a filler arc just for you.

32. Boss Luffy Specials

You know when you fall asleep watching a show, and then you wake back up and, in your grogginess, suddenly whatever is on TV looks insane? That's what happened to me with Boss Luffy. I had just finished watching Ace's fight with Blackbeard and then, boom. I was out. Then I wake up and see the Straw Hats in 19th century Japan. The Boss Luffy stuff is fun, but I think it's best viewed when you're in a delirious half sleep. That's just my personal preference, though.

31. Caesar Retrieval

Caesar made for a fine antagonist on Punk Hazard, but he's even better as shreiking deadweight that the Straw Hat Crew and Company have to keep alive.

30. Little Garden

Little Garden isn't as cool as Whisky Peak, nor does it provide the emotional gut punch of Drum Island. Instead, it's mainly here to further the theme of what it means to be a true warrior and introduce giants (and dinosaurs!) in the One Piece universe. It gives Usopp some of the character development that he needs and Zoro almost cuts off his own feet in an effort to keep fighting. Any arc that illustrates how hard Zoro goes gets at least one thumb up from me.

29. Loguetown

Loguetown is a fun arc when you consider just how much it expands the scope of the world. Smoker and Tashigi truly begin the Navy's quest to stop the Straw Hats, Dragon gets introduced in a big, mysterious way, and Luffy takes a massive step in establishing himself in the realm of pirating. However, the Straw Hat side stories in the middle (aside from Zoro's awesome bit in the sword shop) slow it down a little.

28. Zou

Zou might be one of the most visually rich arcs in the series. From the massive elephant to the Mink tribe to the terror of Jack to more lessons about the poneglyphs, there's a lot shoved into this short span. And between the intense epics of Dressrosa and Whole Cake Island, it's fits nicely as 10 cc's of wonder and fantasy injected into the New World.

27. Fishman Island

Fishman Island occupies a weird spot. It's thematically heavy, but also serves as the action-packed Straw Hat Crew comeback tour. It needs to stand on its own, but it also caps off with a declaration of war against Big Mom, a villain that won't be encountered for years. In all, I feel that the importance of the Fishman Island arc is yet to be truly realized.

26. Ocean's Dream

One of the final two filler arcs on this list, Ocean's Dream seems like One Piece fan fiction in the best way. If you were dissatisfied with Luffy's fight with Zoro on Whisky Peak, you get another round of it here while Zoro is being mind controlled.

25. Syrup Village

If Romance Dawn and Orange Town were warm up laps, Syrup Village is when One Piece begins to break out in a sprint. The introduction of Usopp and the Going Merry make for some great moments and it's this arc that got me hooked on One Piece when I first started watching it.

24. Dressrosa

Dressrosa, for better (and sometimes for worse) is massive. Doflamingo is a threat that had been popping up since the Jaya arc, but because of Dressrosa's scope, his defeat can feel a little lackluster, especially when you consider that he's a pitstop on the road to Kaido. But Dressrosa introduces the endlessly cool Fujitora and the Straw Hats' big pirate alliance, and also gives us the dual backstories to Law and Doflamingo, neither of which disappoint. Also, Doflamingo's abilities lead to some of the coolest action scenes in the series.

23. Return to Sabaody

The post-timeskip starts with a bang, as the Return to Sabaody arc is both hilarious and thrilling. The Straw Hats get to show off their newfound strength as they do what they definitely couldn't do in the first Sabaody arc (easily knock out a Pacifista). And we also get to meet the Fake Straw Hat crew, which does a nice job of illuminating just how much the legend of the Straw Hats has grown since they were last together.

22. Reverse Mountain

One of the major strengths of One Piece is that it can accomplish three kinds of storytelling at once—giving us a narrative that is immediately satisying, giving us a narrative that will be satisfying in the near future, and giving us a narrative that will be satisfying in the long term. In the Reverse Mountain arc, we not only get a nice story about Laboon, but we also get introduced to Baroque Works (who will be the main antagonists of the saga), and also, we get hints that will only pay off when Brook is introduced years later. Reverse Mountain is short, but it also displays Eiichiro Oda's wonderful talent as a writer.

21. Long Ring Long Land

I've seen people on the internet say stuff like "WHEN I REACHED THE DAVY BACK FIGHT ARC, I NEARLY STOPPED READING!" and man, why? Quitting a series that you love because it slightly diverts from the hero fighting god-like enemies in order to participate in some fun games? Everyone has their own opinions, but your opinion of what fiction should be is wrong. That said, this arc is hilarious and great.

20. Whisky Peak

Whisky Peak is so cool. It's an anime arc with swagger, the kind that steps into a bar and buys everyone a round. I want to be friends with Whisky Peak but I know, deep down, that Whisky Peak is far too rad to be friends with me.

19. Reverie

The best thing about the Reverie arc is that it makes the world of One Piece a little more conveniently manageable (Oh neat. All of the major side characters get to hang out for a while), while also opening a can of worms (What's with the giant straw hat? WHAT'S WITH THE GIANT STRAW HAT?). Because this is the most recent arc, I don't know if we've seen the ripples that it will create across the One Piece world, but I sure am excited to.

18. Post Enies Lobby

This isn't the first time the Straw Hats have been forced to flee a place. However, this is the first time that it's felt like they'd be wiped out if they didn't. The return of Garp (and the spectre of the Yonko) throw the Straw Hats into all new territory, one where maybe being the plucky underdog team isn't enough to save them from the threats that come. Also, goofy Franky joins the team, which provides a nice counter-balance to the hints of oblivion.

17. Punk Hazard

Punk Hazard is home to one of my top 10 One Piece fights (Vergo vs Law & Smoker), features one of my favorite locations (an island that is half fire/magma and half ice/snow and home to an evil science base), and introduces a character that has only grown on me with time (Here's a hint on who he is: He laughs like "SHERURURURURURU SHERURURURURURU). It's kind of a prequel to Dressrosa, but in that spot, does a great job at furthering the menace of Doflamingo.

16. Post War

The introduction of Sabo aka Steampunk Ace aka I'm Just Kidding Sabo Is Kinda Cool and Luffy realizing that he has his crew to keep him going make the Post-War arc into a short but powerful cap to the pre-timeskip era.

15. Amazon Lily

Boa Hancock is a supremely underrated One Piece character, with a terribly sad backstory, amazing powers, and a hilarious crush on Luffy. And Amazon Lily helps further the major trend that will reach fever pitch in Dressrosa of Luffy amassing supporters because he's just such a dang ol' nice guy. Hopefully Hancock will one day meet Bartolomeo and together they will start a Luffy fan club and then argue over who gets to be President.

14. Jaya

If you were in the dark as to what the themes of One Piece are, here comes Jaya with a flashlight. This is basically a montage of the things that are important to the Straw Hat crew, and it introduces Blackbeard, a guy that will go from "Oh he seems interesting" to "OH I HATE HIM" over the next few hundred chapters. Luffy saying "Do I know how to throw a punch, you ask?" before absolutely walloping Bellamy still gives me goose bumps.

13. Thriller Bark

There's so much good to Thriller Bark—the spooky atmosphere, the introduction of Brook, the underrated Gekko Moriah, the Binks' Sake song, the Straw Hats teaming up to face a giant zombie, etc. And just when you think it can't get any better, Kuma shows up and rocks the One Piece world.

12. Impel Down

Hey! It's Buggy! And Mr. 3! And Mr. 2! And Crocodile! And our new best boy Jinbe! And Ivankov! As both a launching point for new protagonists and a comeback for old foes (along with introducing Magellan, one of the best villains in the series, and Shiryu, one of the scariest villains in the series), Impel Down succeeds. I love it more and more with time.

11. Drum Island

I've written an entire article about why the arc where we first meet Tony Tony Chopper makes me weep, so I'll try to be brief here. Drum Island is beautiful. It's the story of a little deer guy that couldn't find a place in the world and the loud rubber bro that gave him one. It's an arc about the price of dreams and the power of having someone stand up for you when you need it most. It's about love and respect and kindess. And now I'm about to cry again. THANKS A LOT, ONE PIECE.

10. Baratie

The Baratie arc is the first hint that we'll get about how hectic the One Piece world is. We meet Sanji, we meet Don Krieg, and we meet Mihawk (and is stronger than the whole cast of the show combined at this point). Syrup Village is about leaving your comfort zones and Baratie is about finding a home in the chaos that follows.

9. G-8

The best One Piece filler arc and the One Piece arc that I most revisit (it's only 11 episodes, can you blame me?), G-8 is a One Piece Greatest Hits collection and possibly the first thing you should show someone if they want to get into One Piece but don't have long to do so.

8. Alabasta

Are the Straw Hats ready for the Grand Line? Are they ready to topple evil villains and protect those that need help? That's what Alabasta asks and the answer is "Oh yeah." Luffy punching Crocodile up through the center of the city is an iconic moment, showing us that the Straw Hats, whether they mean to be or not, are forces of good in the world.

7. Marineford

Marineford is loud and chaotic and powerful, forcing Luffy into a situation where he is simply an especially energetic pawn on the chessboard of battle. It's just as much of a rescue mission as it is a quest for survival for him, but in the midst of Whitebeard and the three admirals and the Shichibukai, Luffy makes his mark. However, he doesn't do it through displays of awe-inspiring force, but through his willpower. Aokiji is right when he says that Luffy isn't "ready for this stage yet," but the thing that scares the Navy most is that one day, he will be.

6. Sabaody Archipelago

This is not a happy arc. It's a satisfying one (Luffy punching the Celestial Dragon will never get old), and it's an illuminating one (Silver Rayleigh, y'all!), but it's not one that will end with cheering. Kizaru shows up to put an entire generation of pirates in their place and Kuma wipes out the Straw Hats. That said, even if it concludes with the most uncertain moment in the series, it's still a fun ride.

5. Arlong Park

Nami is the soul of the Straw Hat Crew, and learning what she's been through at the hands of the despicable Arlong is heart-breaking. But Luffy doesn't need to know every detail to know that he needs to help and the Straw Hats walking to Arlong Park is another one of those "One Piece is literally the best thing ever" moments. And by the end, every Straw Hat bro gets a victory, Luffy gets a bounty, and Nami gets her freedom. And what does she do with this freedom? She joins a ship full of dummies as their navigator. And I'm so happy about that.

4. Enies Lobby

For many, Enies Lobby is THE arc and I'm not disagreeing with them. It's such a display of raw emotion and exciting battles, a nonstop rollercoaster of everything that makes One Piece great. And it ends with a Viking funeral for the Going Merry, a scene that reveals Oda's true power as a writer: He makes you sob about a ship.

3. Whole Cake Island

If Enies Lobby is about being a hero, then Whole Cake Island is about letting that idea go. The Straw Hats can't beat Big Mom or her crew and will have to settle with getting Sanji and getting out. And Katakuri, the protective brother of the Charlotte family, learns that he doesn't have to be perfect all the time. It's a beautiful arc that shows that Oda is willing to play around with some of the pre-established ideas of One Piece.

2. Water 7

Robin leaves. Usopp defects, Luffy is forced to do things that no captain wants to, and a villainous team shows up that seems unstoppable. Water 7 may be the first half of a story that continues with Enies Lobby, but I find it to be the better one (though not by much). It's an arc that constantly leaves you saying "Well, what else could go wrong?" and then something else does. And it's just so good.

1. Skypiea

This is it. Everything good about One Piece, from the powerful villain (with a great weakness), to the touching themes, to enchanting locations, to the gripping adventures, is wrapped up in Skypiea. And while I have no problems with arcs being connected, there's just something about the standalone nature of Skypiea that leads me to regularly revisit it. It's an arc that makes me glad that I started this nearly 900 episode adventure in the first place. And that's the highest compliment that I can give.

Want to make your own ranking? Then watch One Piece on Crunchyroll! It's literally the only way.

What is your favorite One Piece arc? How do you feel about this ranking? Let us know in the comments!

------------------------

Daniel Dockery is a writer and editor for Crunchyroll. He has a Twitter, where you can disagree with him.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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marcoacesabo · 7 years ago

Text

Rewind and Pause

For @justm3h beacuse of our mutal love of time travel and randomness. I hope this puts a smile on your face m3h!

Ace was honestly not very sure what was currently happening. He was sprinting through the trees, leaping over logs, holes, and roots with practiced ease. He paid no mind to the bushes or sharp branches along the sides, allowing them to pass through his body in small wisps of fire.

He would not allow anything to slow him down for it would mean he would be caught by the bulking figure a few feet behind him.

Ace normally wouldn’t run from any fight but the man chasing him hunted his nightmares, hell a good portion of his nightmares were caused by him.

“Stop running and face me like a man!”| The old person screamed his voice echoing animosity in Ace’s ears. “I have to introduce you to my fists!”

More trees fell victim to the raging male and Ace felt his heart drop while his legs pushed to go faster a scream ripping out of his throat. “Leave me alone!”

Ace peaked over his shoulder and lost nine years of his life at the sight of a younger and angrier Monkey D Garp in all his Hawaiin shirt glory. Oh Sea gods, it was just like when he was a kid.

Why, oh why was he here again?

Ace hadn’t done anything to deserve reliving this trauma. He just had one drink. Just one...well maybe one bottle..just a little. But not enough to be this wasted!

He had gone to bed at the Moby, after a wonderful party with his family a little tipsy, so he wasn’t all that surprised with the crazy dream he started out in. At first, Ace had woken in his old childhood treehouse.

He had marveled at the things around the wall, smiled at the little trinkets they gathered for their future crews and then sat in the middle of the large room sober eyes observing the three sleeping children in the corner of the room, his eyes on one particular blond boy. It was rather cruel of his brain to do this to him, he thought, to show him the one person he lost but love oh so dearly.

But in the end, it was just a dream, and like all dreams, he thought nothing of his surroundings. Sure it was a little odd that everything was so sharp, so in focus and maybe more detail then his own memory but it was a dream.

Then Sabo- poor little Sabo who died much too young- open his eyes. At first, he just stared at Ace, while the other smile wistfully at him. His little eyes sparkled with the same intelligence, wary, and adventure seeking spirit that had drawn little Ace to him all those years ago.

Ace tilt his hat at the boy, a short sign of respect and smiled. Ah, how he missed his best friend. His mind must still hold that longing for little Sabo so detail it was astounding.

Hell, he never realized how cute and squishy his cheeks were back then. He told the image of his friend this information, a wistful smile on his lips and a wonder what Sabo would have said had he been alive.

Then little Sabo started screaming and broke him out of his musing.

Before he knew what was happening Ace was being rushed at by tiny versions of himself and his little brother all screaming at the top of their lungs. Thier high, ear ringing voices echoing “Get out of our tree house!”

Thier pipes passed through him harmlessly, his devil fruit keeping him safe. Ace didn’t do anything other than watching them try over and over again to injure him. He watches the kids stumble back unsure what to do after realizing there metal pipes were useless without Haki.

The three boys had pushed themselves against the wall- Ace was standing in front of the entrance- watching him with wary eyes and the older man had to wonder what his subconscious was trying to tell him if he dreamt of things like this?

“S-Stay away!” Little luffy sobbed holding on to Sabo’s arm. Ace frown at that, never liking seeing his brother cry.

“Luffy I’m not going to hurt-”

“Don’t talk to him!” Tiny Ace screamed stepping in front of the other two his arms spread out defensively “Don’t look at Sabo! Go away!”

“Tiny me shut up for a second” The fire user waved a hand at him dismissively as he focused on the straw hat wearing boy. His voice softens,as he falls back into old habits, after years of practically raising the younger one on his own. “Luffy? Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare? Do you want some meat and watermelon?”

It does not comfort the boy like he hoped- which was odd it always did when they were younger- instead, it causes all three kids to stiffen. Sabo is the one that wraps an arm around Luffy glaring at him “He’s not eating anything you give him! You ugly old pervert fire freak!””

Wow, rude. You think Sabo would be nicer to him. He is part of his mind after all- wait for nevermind, his mind has never been kind.

Maybe because he was thinking that it was why Garp appeared out of the dark shadows of the ground level., roaring like a fierce lion protecting the cubs. “Boys! Get behind me! And you stay away from my grandsons!”

Ace hadn’t even sensed him until a haki cover fist slammed him in the head and sent him head first through a wooden wall. As he flew he hear tiny voices cheering on shitty gramps, yelling to kill the ugly old pervert.

He would have given them a piece of his mind had Garp not tried to break his skull. Ace had barely been able to angel his head away from the falling fist, having it land next to his ear and watching it shatter the solid ground before in mute horror.

Ace never ran from a fight...but against Garp, he would always strategically retreat.

So he turned himself in fire, to slip through the marine’s grabbing hand s and reform near the tree line. Then he just straight up bolted through the trees.

He wasn’t really sure if he was dreaming or not because that had been painful and you don’t feel pain in dreams.

But that hardly mattered now. All that mattered was to not get caught by his terrifying grandfather. And maybe find Marco to make him promise to never let him drink, like ever. He barely felt Garp’s finger brush his back before he was gone in a flash.

“What do you mean you don’t drink?” Sabo asks, holding out a bottle while snuggling into Marco’s side. “Can’t you just have one cup? I just got my memories back and we’re both dating Marco! That’s worth celebrating.!”

Ace shook his head, “Bad things happen when I drink. Tell him Mar!”

Marco for his part only nodded his head, already use to explaining to people Ace’s special condition. “Drinking makes him time travel. It’s not pretty nor can he control where he ends up at yoi”

Sabo twitched “Do you two think I'm an idiot?”

The older blond shook his head “No but I do know that once when we first got the Moby a man appeared in my room, wasted and singing a song about my hair. Trust me on this, you don’t want to see Ace in your pass. He’s pretty stupid.”

#marcoacesabo #time travel #random time jumps #ace can't drink for the sanity of the time line #ace and sabo aren't dating but they are with marco #for a friend #tomarrow will be better keep on trucking

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thekytchensynk · 3 years ago

Text

Ain’t No Picnic (3/9)

Summary: They were just supposed to head over to the island real quick, just to see what was going on. After all, if pirates were trying to ambush and kill the Straw Hat crew, how could Coby NOT go? And how could Helmeppo let him go alone? It should be simple enough, but nothing can be taken for granted in the New World, and when things go awry, Helmeppo finds himself separated from his captain on an island chain full of pirates who probably won’t be too happy to see a Marine if their paths cross.Oh yeah. And one of those pirates is the infamous “Surgeon of Death,” Trafalgar Law…

Warnings: Occasional strong language

Read it on AO3

__________

Walking across the islands hadn’t gotten any easier after the trip through the underwater tunnel. If anything, the new area seemed a little thinner, with less solid ground and more areas that were open to the underlying lily pads.

Helmeppo picked his way from spot to spot with a care that left him lagging behind the pirate. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he envied that sort of cool, detached air Law had. Helmeppo strove for that sort of nonchalance, but he knew he didn’t pull it off half so well. He felt reasonably sure that Law had no more idea where they were and how to get back than he himself did. But somehow the guy carried himself with an assurance that made him think maybe, just maybe, he was wrong.

The “island” was generally one of the flattest places Helmeppo had ever been, which mired them down among the stalks and made it difficult to see very far in any direction, leaving him feeling like they were walking around in circles. The ground remained treacherous, flimsy and prone to giving out underfoot. And furthermore, around here at least, there were ropy vines from some other kind of plant lying here and there across the ground. He guessed the lack of trees left them very little to actually cling to in a place like this.

“Where are you going?” Helmeppo chanced.

Law kept walking, and at first he thought the guy wasn’t even going to answer. But after a few more steps, he said, “The shore. We weren’t in the water that long. We should be able to see the main island from there.”

“Oh.” Well, that made sense. “And then we-”

His question died in his throat as up ahead, Law gave a weird flail, uncharacteristically uncool from what he had seen, and then just … disappeared.

Helmeppo came to a complete stop for a second -- what just happened? But even as his mind tried to figure out what happened -- had he slipped? Fallen in the water? -- his body started moving again. He found himself scrambling up the little mound of roots toward where he’d last seen the pirate. Is this my fault for distracting him? No sign of him. Which was odd because, again, there wasn’t a lot to this island.

As his foot came down on a little clear area close to the spot, he felt it suddenly slip out from under himself.

No. Not slip.

The world upended dizzyingly, a swirl of leaves and light, and he hit the ground hard on his back. But he hadn’t stopped moving. He had just enough time to register that something had wrapped around his right ankle and was yanking him along the ground at startling speed. Then the world upended again, the light winked out abruptly and the cold water of the Grand Line closed over his head once more.

Shit!

The rush of the water past him nearly yanked his weapons out of his hands, and did tear the visor from his face. That didn’t make much of a difference, not down here. Above him he could see the dwindling spot of sunlight receding, but around him the water lay murky and impenetrable. He could barely make out the massive stalks of the lily pads all around him, and below, only darkness. No sign of who or whatever was pulling him to the depths.

Gotta … stop.

Gritting his teeth, Helmeppo tried to swipe at whatever held him with one of his kukri, but the rush of the water as he got dragged deeper kept him from getting a strong, clean hit. Is this thing dragging me all the way to the bottom?

As though triggered by the thought, his descent began to slow. The half-light this far down gave him a dim view of the surroundings.

If he were on land he would have shrieked.

A sort of murkiness had settled into the water here, like silt had gotten stirred up. The effect was rather like fog, only underwater. The forest of stalks had also been supplemented by a whole mess of vines, snaking through the darkness and in and out of one another like tangled yarn. Mostly it looked like just a big mess, but here and there, the end of one of the vines would poke out of the mess.

And on some of the exposed ends, like overripe fruit, hung bodies.

Despite the situation, he took the scene in for a few seconds in horrified fascination. A bunch of the bodies looked fresh -- he couldn’t see faces in the darkness, but they had full silhouettes and regular proportions. Fresh catches from today’s battle? Others looked like balloons, distended and bloated and bobbing on the end of their vine tethers. Still others had begun to disintegrate. As he watched, a drooping arm came loose from one of the corpses and began its long fall to the sea floor below.

Where it’ll fertilize the lily pads. I guess plants this big don’t want to count on the ocean’s bounty.

But now that the downward rush had ended, it was the work of a moment to slice himself free -- from another vine, he saw now. Yes! Now, gotta get back up, gotta get…

Wait.

He looked around one more time, and caught sight of that flashy coat off to his left. Helmepopo swam over to where Law hung limp. Devil fruit users. The guy might be a monster on land, but when he hadn’t been able to get free quickly enough, the sea took her due. Hooking one arm under the pirate’s arm, Helmeppo slashed him free as well and started swimming as hard as he could for the surface.

The sheer depth made it hard to judge how far they were from the surface, and yanking another person behind him wasn’t making this any easier, but Garp had been in the habit of some rather intense training, and swimming had definitely been included. There was the time he and Coby had been thrown off the back of a ship at full sail for disappointing Garp in a sparring match. He’d promised to let them on the ship if they could catch up to it. That hadn’t happened, but they had kept it in sight enough to drag themselves ashore at the port it reached several hours later. And there were other, even more applicable moments of training…

An involuntary shiver went over him. He wasn’t entirely a stranger to being plunged into the depths of this terrifying ocean.

A tug at his ankle yanked him out of the memory before he could get too lost in it. On instinct more than conscious thought, he sliced through the vine before it could pull them back down again.

And so it went. Lungs screaming, he did his best to pull for the surface, stopping every once in a while when the plants came at him again. Keeping his weapons firmly to hand made things tougher, but he didn’t dare let them go. His haki didn’t help, since they were just plants -- nothing to sense really. But on the bright side, the plants weren’t thinking creatures, and that meant they came slowly, without guile, and that made them easy to fend off. And at last the spot of light grew larger, looming just overhead, and he broke the surface into sweet, sweet air.

No time to take a break.

He heaved, bracing one elbow on the side of the hole and using the other arm to haul the terrifying pirate guy partway onto land. Dragging in a huge lungful of air, he heaved again, trying to shove the dead weight of the pirate fully onto the dry land. Or whatever you called these vegetative islands. His arms felt leaden and the guy in his sodden coat felt like he weighed a ton, but Garp didn’t tolerate quitters.

Just as he finished this task, he felt something coil around his ankle once more. For just a moment he hesitated, gulping a little more air. As it pulled, he dug one of his kukri into some nearby stouter ground, holding himself upright. Just a little more, then I’ll cut this and get out…

Another one coiled around the same ankle. Then another, around the other ankle.

How many of these things WERE there?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another of the vines poke out of the water, questing up onto the shore after Law, though not nearly as energetically. Shit. It at least seemed to be having a harder time finding the still man than Helmeppo, who kept trying to kick free. But that wouldn’t last long -- the guy was barely out of the water. If he goes in, I haven’t got the strength to drag him back up again.

Gripping his anchor tighter, he lashed out with his right hand, severing the end of the vine. That one peeled back into the water, but another one reared up out of the water, moving more quickly than the others, not at Law, but at him, at his throat. He got a hand up -- not fast enough to cut it, but enough to intercept it. The tendril wrapped around his wrist instead, and for a brief moment, Helmeppo could clearly see the idiotic enemy that he heartily hoped he was not going to die to. It looked so innocent -- about the width of his thumb, with a number of little curled bits coming off the main vine and sets of wide, thin leaves that mostly lay plastered against the stem.

Then all of them yanked in unison, forcing his right arm underwater and nearly jostling him loose from the planted knife. His fingers ached as he strained against the drag. Thank goodness Garp couldn’t see him in trouble in a fight against a plant. How he’d laugh...

Of course, Garp would also probably love this place for training.

Well, there was no avoiding it. Helmeppo was trying, but the downward pull was too heavy. He wasn’t going to be able to save himself from this situation. He needed a slightly different one.

Steeling himself, he wrenched the knife loose and plunged once more into the murky water.

The good news was, they didn’t drag him down any faster for the numbers. The bad news was, it seemed they had decided he was well and truly trouble. He could see more of the vines looming through the water, and he used the knife in his free hand to drive them back before cutting his other hand loose. Overhead the light dwindled again.

Seriously, this would be one hell of an embarrassing way to die.

But there wasn’t time to focus on that. The ever-dimming light made the vines harder and harder to see. If he wasn’t careful, they’d overwhelm him, and he’d be just another meal for the root system far below.

And he couldn’t let that happen. His pride couldn’t stand it, if nothing else.

The tendrils reached for him from every direction. That was the bad news. The good news was, they didn’t seem to be pushing up past him, toward the air. Toward the pirate. So now he just had to take care of himself. Still not exactly one of his strong suits, but he was getting better at it.

The vines weren’t any faster -- they seemed to have a top speed, thankfully -- so the only problems were the sheer volume and the poor lighting conditions. He cut himself free, fended off the first onslaught of attackers, then reached down and thumbed off his shoes. He felt a sense of regret as they disappeared down into the darkness, but a couple of the vines went after them instead of him. Plus, his bare feet made his kicks feel far more powerful and precise. Shoulda done this the first time. But somehow, it was easier to focus this time, even though he already felt the limited air burning his lungs and making his head swim a bit.

Turning back toward the surface, he turned on the speed as much as he could. But rather than keeping his eyes upward, he was looking down, keeping an eye out for more reaching vines. The posture didn’t exactly help him sprint to the surface, but it did at least let him easily pick off the vines as they loomed from below, a seemingly endless supply of them. If not for the lack of air, this would be a cakewalk.

It didn’t even occur to him that they might use the darkness until something wrapped around his neck and upended him, resuming dragging him to the depth. A few precious bubbles escaped his mouth, rolling past his face and up toward the open sky.

You idiot. If you die here, on this personal side-trip, Coby’s never going to forgive himself.

He had been thrown off kilter by the attack, the darkness of the vast ocean below filling his vision. Blindly he tilted his head to one side, hooking the vine with his knife on the second try. It cut cleanly -- just as another one caught him at the waist, without a pause in the descent.

Coby believed Straw Hat would become king of the pirates. Helmeppo thought it could happen, and figured if someone had to find the One Piece, it would be cool if it were someone he’d had a personal brush with. But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t his concern.

He tried to make a cut, but it seemed like the vines had gotten … smarter? It wasn’t a loop around his waist, but two of them, twining together across his back. The ends disappearing out into the murk. He made a wild swing, but the angle sucked and he missed entirely.

But there was one thing Helmeppo believed -- thanks to his father, maybe he believed it more than anyone. The marines had so much power, and the focus of that power depended on the person at the top. Axe-Hand Morgan, or Captain Nezumi, had been allowed to act as they had because Sengoku’s focus was on the will of the Celestial Dragons, not the safety of the people. And the pitiless justice of their current Fleet Admiral threatened to create a pitiless world around them. If they got adequate results, there might still be a place for men like Morgan and Nezumi under him.

More vines loomed -- how many were there? Another caught around his neck, and he cleared this one too, but when he tried to flip out from under the one along his back, more caught his legs. At least the movement did slip him free of the one he’d been trying to slip -- it slid up to the back of his neck, then over his head, catching briefly in his hair and yanking his head a little to one side.

The marines needed leadership that would prevent people like his father from gaining power, or rein them in if they did. Men more like Ripper and less like Morgan. But most of the best people in the chain of command either didn’t have the chops for it, or they’d never get the position because they’d ruffled too many feathers.

The vines kept piling on, a physical weight in the water even without their inexorable downward pull. He swung backward, trying to cut free of a few more, only for another to wrap around him, pinning his left hand to his side. He tried pulling it loose, but the vine tightened painfully, forcing another stream of bubbles between his lips.

Coby could do it. The world would be better if Coby DID do it. But he probably wasn’t going to do it if his personal side-trip ended up getting someone killed. He’d start second-guessing. Aiming smaller. Being more careful.

He turned his blade to one side and swung, catching one of the vines and spinning himself. He could feel the tugging as all the offending vines bound up together.

If that happens, it won’t be because of me.

His free hand swung down, slicing through the entire twisted mass. The water around him filled with the slackening pieces of the vines that had bound him, and he used the momentum to get himself reoriented toward the light. He was off like a shot, shedding bits of the cut plant matter as he went.

Air, he needed air!

The light overhead loomed, deceptively close, deceptively far. He shrugged more of the cuttings free, letting them fall to hopefully distract their brethren. The burning need to breathe and the equally deep need to not lay his death at his friend’s feet drove him up, up and toward that light. Just a little more … a little more …

#fanfic #one piece #helmeppo

0 notes

piratetrafalguy · 7 years ago

Text

20 Years at Sea, Day 13 - AU

Title: Two and a Half Pirates

Rating: T

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

Hint: he is very, very wrong.(

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

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

(Read it on Ao3 here)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“WHAT ?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, that was one down.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ace blinked back at her. Oh. Yeah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There was a chuckle from the doorway.

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

~*~

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

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“N-no…”

“You are!”

“Sh-shut up, asshole.”

“Ah!”

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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rboooks · 7 years ago

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Happy Birthday, @empresskira !

I hope you have a wonderful day and many more birthdays!

Ace paced around in his living room. It was spotless, he had taken the liberty to clean every single inch of his home. Every surface had been dusted, windows cleaned, the bathrooms scrubbed down, clutter cleared and even the roof swept. He had been debating if he should re-paint the walls when Luffy put his foot down and said they were not going to clean anymore.

The poor kid had gone through three days of Ace’s crazy cleaning frenzy and he would have no more.

Ace guessed he was right, but since he worked from home and his studio was just the extra guest room he was worried that Marco Phoenix would give it one look and leave. Maybe he was too worried, maybe he was over thinking things but this was the first step towards his dream.

Izo recommended Marco to him after seeing a few of his designs. Apparently, the model had also gotten a glance at his work, claiming them to be great and had agreed to meet him in person. Of course, he may not be saying the same thing if he learned of Ace’s financial problem.

The man sighed looking in the mirror to fix his suit. He tried his best to be presentable and he wore one of his own suits that he knew made him look good. He hoped the man thought the same.

A knock had his head snapping towards the door. He swallows back his nerves and steels himself. This is his dream, he has worked hard to get even the smallest of notice in the fashion industry. Even if this professional model denies working for him, Ace knows he won’t be the last, nor the only one who would but that doesn’t mean he gives up.

He could find someone who would enter the contest with him, even if that person doesn’t have as much experience as this one does in modeling.

“Coming!” He calls speed walking towards the door and fixing his hair one last it minute before opening the door.

He blinks at the man standing on the other side. It’s one thing to know someone is a model and another to see someone who is a model.

He’s dressed more casual than Ace but not by much. He has on a purple dress shirt, and well fitting gray suit pants. They look new, well taken care of and they scream money. He has blond hair styled in a Mohawk tousled and rugged.

The droopy eyes he has does nothing to ruin his appearance, in fact, Ace wants to design something that brings them out and show how great they look. Ace really hopes he says yes to his offer.

“Hi, are you Ace D. Portgas?” The blond asks a polite smile pulling on his lips. He holds out his hand for a shake “I’m Marco Phoenix.”

Ace stared tongue-tied for a few seconds before he gets his brain and mouth to work. By then he realizes he’s been doing nothing but standing there looking like an idiot. Marco’s smile is a little strain, and he is lowering his arm.

Ace’s hand rushes forward to take it, even if he has to awkwardly bend down to get hold of it. The model raises one eyebrow as he jerks it up and down quickly, his nervous behavior kicking in. “Hi! I’m Ace yes. That’s me. Ace. I’m the fashion designer. Yup.”

The freckled man keeps shaking his hand until the older man clears his throat. How long had he been holding his hand?! He lets go, sweating profoundly. “I’m sorry about that. I’m-I’m nervous. I’ve never talked to someone so attractive before.”

He slaps a hand over his mouth in horror. He blinks several times trying really hard to wake from this nightmare.

“I-I mean…I..I mean would you like to..see some of the..I’m” Ace looks at the ground face burning in embarrassment. This wasn’t going at all like he hoped. He fidgets with the end of his sleeves, begging the ground to form a whole and swallow him up.

“Izo told me you wanted to enter a fashion contest and you need a model for the runway. Is that correct? ” Marco walks past him into the house, looking around curiously. Ace stands by the door unsure of what to do before he closes it.

He turns to find Marco looking at him expectedly, sitting on his bright red couch like he owns the place. It takes him a moment to remember he didn’t answer his question.

“Yes!” He gasps out rushing towards to the older man. On the coffee table is his sketchbook, he also has some pictures of the clothes he made over the years and he fumbles with them as he tries to present them to Marco. “I want to join the New World contest for the publicity and if we win any money you can have it since I don’t have any to pay you with right now!”

He pauses, realizing he blurted out his offer in a panic frantic matter instead of slowly easing the idea onto the model like he originally planned. He wanted to stop but he felt more words fall out of his mouth before he could shut it. “We just have to take the rookie spot, since all the other ones are already taken by Whitebeard, Gol, Revolution and Marine since you know they are the biggest powerhouses in the fashion industry and I mean there is no way any of them would ever lose the primary rounds so I just want to see if the only spot left is open for the off chance they like my-“

A finger presses up against his lips cutting off the rambling of the freckled man. The papers slip from his surprised fingers landing on the ground with a soft thump. They scatter a bit but don’t go too far. Marco is giving him a knowing smile that does odd things to his chest. “Breathe. I’ll take the job. I love these designs.”

He gestures to the pile of papers, eyes soft and amused.

Ace’s whole face lights up. A bubble of excitement explodes in his stomach. Plopping down on the couch he beams at the other man “You do?! Really!? I had this idea of using mythical creatures as my theme and I really like the idea of dragons and phoenixes right? I always liked them and I think they are really inspiring muses and- hey your name is Phoenix!” The raven hair man reaches down to pull up on a particular design, it has a blue phoenix warping around a set of shirt and pants. Ace stares at it imagining Marco in it, he knows- this will win that open spot for sure! “It works with my theme! I’ll need to add a few more modifications, and decided on two other designs but it could really really work!- We need to do some measurements! I need to get to work on it right now if I want to have three outfits ready by the deadline- I mean if you have time!”

Ace jerks his head to the right. The other man is staring wide-eyed at him. The fashion designer winces, knowing he got a little ahead of himself again. Garp always did say his passion could put people off and it took some getting used to. Especially since he tended to talk like he thought when it came to his craft i.e jump from topic to topic. “Sorry...I got excited.”

Marco looks startled, shocked even as a soft hue of pink settles over his cheeks.

“Don’t be sorry, that was adorable-” he coughs into his hand looking a little thrown off. Ace worries he might be sick. “I mean admirable. That you got so excited. But for your question I have time. I have all the time in the world.”

Ace beams up at him. What a nice guy! “Great! I’ll get my measuring tape! You can undress here or we can move to the special room where the magic happens!

Marco makes a strange gagging noise as Ace races to his studio. On his way, he stops at the bathroom to pick up some cold medication. The poor guy looks like he might need some with how red he suddenly was, maybe Ace should postpone the measurement taking? After all the deadline wasn’t until a few months away and making his professional model work with a fever wasn’t going to help anyone. He can wait a few days to-

Wait. A thought burst to life in his head just as he makes it to his work room.

Did Marco come all the way over to his house while sick? And he wasn’t even going to get paid for it since Ace was broke. The raven hair man frown displeased. What an inconvenience he is. He needed to make up for it. Send him home early. Yeah, that’s what he’ll do. Hearing footsteps from the hall, Ace turns to find the blond model still red with slightly glazed eyes walking towards him. He is fumbling with his belt, hands shaking a little bit causing Ace to rethink his plan.

He can’t drive home like this! He could crash.

“You know what Marco? Don’t worry about the measurements we can do that another day. But don’t you think for a second I’m letting you leave like that. Why don’t you go lie down in my room? ” He gestures to his own bedroom door. Ace knows he’ll be uncomfortable with the idea, but he’s dealt with a stubborn sick Luffy before he can deal with this man. The best way to go about this is to bribe him, and promise him no pain. Ace smile as best he cans, waving the liquid cold medication in his hand “This will help with the pain. Best there is.”

Marco looks like Christmas came early. “Okay.”

Ace is surprised he doesn’t put up a fight, doesn’t even find it weird that a man he just met is demanding he rest.

Poor guy must be feeling awful.

“Great. I’ll call Izo to let him know you’re here so he can come get you when you wake up later. Trust me, you won’t be able to drive afterward.” The male warns, knowing how strong Garps remedies can be.

“Perfect.” Marco hums walking into the room, hips swaying back and forth. Ace watches him go, worried he is close to fainting. Should he keep his phone close to call an ambulance, just in case?

#Under cut cause it's long?#Hope you have a great day!

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marcoacesabo · 7 years ago

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Roommate's strange habits

When Ace first moved into the apartment he wasn’t expecting much trouble, even if his grandfather said again and again how suspicious it all was. Sure it wasn’t the nicest place, and he had answered an ad to share it with a random stranger in the worst part of town the thing was it was very very cheap.

Cheap was Ace’s favorite price.

Maybe he didn’t like the fact it was in an old building with crack, stains and smells that he would rather not like to know the origins of, maybe Garp was right that this wasn’t a good idea and maybe he was slightly worried his roommate may try to steal his skin in his sleep.

But after meeting Sabo in person he knew that they would get along like fire on a house. The blond was polite, funny, charming and unfairly handsome, who was just a follow broke college kid trying to make ends means. ( if Ace was being honest he may have even said he found the perfect boyfriend candidate)

It was after moving in, two weeks with living there, that he realized something.

Sabo was odd, to put it nicely. Not the odd that send warning bells in his head about a murder, no Sabo was odd as in the “wakes at three in the morning to talk to food”

But it was this strange habit that got them together.

Let him explain, it will make sense.

One night, Ace had gotten up intending to get a cup of water, but as he neared the kitchen he saw that a light was emitting from it. He thought his roommate was fast asleep, so he careful tiptoed back to his room for a metal bat just in case they were broken in to.

With the bat held tightly in both hands, the raven-haired man slowly made his way down the small hall ready to take a swing at anything. The kitchen had looked like a mess, pots, and pans everywhere dripping with colorful liquids. Stains on walls like someone had intentionally splattered them there, had Ace’s swallowing- some of them looked like blood.

It wasn’t the room lights that were on. It was a bunch of candles around the dining table. They sat among cakes of varies shapes and sizes none like the last.

They were actually very well done. A dragon, a carefully dabbed designs, a flower and much more.

Ace had counted six but he wasn’t sure it was accurate. He hadn’t looked long enough, beacuse his eyes landed on a giggling Sabo who was carefully frosting a flower onto a small cupcake.

The man was wearing a blue dragon onesie, hood up so that his face peeked out from the dragon’s mouth. He didn’t seem to notice the slack jaw Ace, before mumbling to the pastry “You look so pretty. I bet you taste good too. A perfect sacrifice but shhh don’t wake up Ace okay pretty? We won’t want to ruin the fun times right?”

He then exploded into more giggles, face somewhat shadowed by the poor lighting.

Ace had backpedaled out of there faster then one could say what the fuck!?

He had gone back to his room silent as a shadow, closed his door and barricaded it. He was deeply disturbed. He didn’t sleep a wink of sleep wondering what he had seen, a little paranoid of Sabo barging into his room to do something else that was creepy.

Say like watch him well he sleeps?

Giggle over his form in his weird dragon onesie?

Measure his skin to make a suit out of?

He was shaking, holding onto his metal bat for life on his bed keeping an eye on the objects he used to cover the door and keeping an ear alert of any footsteps coming towards him.

But he heard and saw nothing.

At one time, he must have fallen asleep beacuse he woke half spooning the bat, his bedside table, three trunks of random stuff and bookcase still perfectly placed against his door.

Ace had gotten up, taking a wary glance at his clock only to breathe a sigh of relief. Sabo should be gone for his morning classes, giving him four hours to pack up and get the hell out of there.

He packed his clothes first, bat never too far away. Then take anything else he could fit in the small suitcase knowing he needs boxes or helps to get the rest.

It was two hours later that he finished he moved the furniture, before walking out. He had 911 on speed dial, just in case he ran into his roommate but nothing seemed out of the ordinary in fact the apartment had been cleaned.

No pans, no cakes, no stains, no weird blonds.

Just their modest furniture, and quite a room. Which didn’t make sense, the stains were gone too. That wouldn’t have been easy to clean.

H-Had Ace dreamt it all? It wasn’t the first time he was woken from a dream and moved his stuff around beacuse of it....

Maybe he had overreacted?

By the time Sabo came home, bearing a gift in the shape of four large pizzas, Ace had unpacked.

The following week it happened again.

This time when Ace had woken it was the smell of cinnamon- his favorite- that stir him to the kitchen at three in the morning. There among trays and trays with of cinnamon rolls was a giggling Sabo once again clad in his dragon onesie.

He was gently laying the frosting over the buns, cheerfully whispering to them “Some for you. Some for you. And some for you even though you had way too much mister. ..well okay, you can have one, but no more, we can’t have you eating so much. What would Ace say if our thighs got so big?”

Ace had shivered in fear, face somewhat green. W-was Sabo talking to the food about him? Was this what he did at night? Sea he had to leave this apartment, this wasn’t normal!

The candle lights hadn’t been bright enough for him to see, so by the time he notices the trays stacked on the floor he was already tripping over them. The loud clatter echoed through the apartment as Ace tried to scramble to his feet.

He came face to face with a panicking Sabo who was all but ripping the onesie off face twisted in mortification “Ace! T-this isn’t what it looks like- I can explain!”

Now Ace may be reckless but he wasn’t stupid. It was better to go along with what Sabo wanted for now, instead of having the man with the possible unstable mentally blow up on him.

“I’m sorry for knocking over your trays Sabo.” He said calmly, dusting his clothes off unnecessary. Ace just wanted to do something so that he wasn’t just standing there. “There wasn’t anything on them right?”

The blond paused, the fur of his dragon pooling at his feet- he was wearing his regular blue PJs underneath- and he was looking at Ace in confusion.

“No,” he said slowly like he was worried it was Ace who would snap. “ It...it just was the ones I was going to clean.”

“Okay good. What you making tonight?” The other asked hoping to keep the terror out of his voice. He was hoping a conversation could buy him enough time to run back for his bat.

“Um cinnamon rolls.” The blond blinked waving his hand around. He looked uncomfortable but after a moment of silence added: “Would you..ugh like one?”

No, Ace really didn’t

“Sure.” He said instead of trying to keep up the act that everything was fine.

Ace had never seen Sabo beam before. Sure he’s seen him smile, seen him laugh but nothing like that could compare to the pure excitement that bloomed on Sabo’s face as he handed him a bun. If he wasn’t fearing for his life he would have found it endearing.

“This is the first time I ever made them but I think they came out okay.” The blond said acting like he was offering the king one of his creations. He stepped back twirling his fingers into the hem of his shirt. “I um hope you like it.”

Silver eyes flickered around the room nervously before Ace took a bit. He tried to ignore the naked anticipation on Sabo’s face as he chewed. It almost killed him to say but it was the best thing he’s ever tasted.

A moan of pleasure slipped out him, and Sabo blushed. “I see you like it.”

Ace nodded, a little dazed by the blond’s happy little smile. He’s never seen a grown man try to hide behind his bangs and hands but that’s what made Sabo doing it so cute.

“Can I have more?” He asked around the food in his mouth eyeing the other trays.

By now the fear had left his body all that remained was a strange warm feeling that was growing stronger the longer he watched his roommate try to stay bashful. “S-Sure!”

The blond soon had Ace sitting on the couch with a plate of cinnamon wonders in his lap. He flickered on the lights, explaining that the candles were only used to not wake Ace.

They spent some time chatting. Sabo reveals his love of baking but years in his old home taught him to never let others know. His parents did not approve of it and would make cruel punishments for doing something so “odd” for a male.

He was so used to sneaking around at night to bake that once he moved out he couldn’t break the habit.

Apparently, it was one of his favorite things to do and he often dreamed of opening a bakery one day.

Ace was not surprised to find he also loved fluffy things, and that too his parents try to beat out of him. The onesie made sense now.

“You can put it back on. I don’t mind.” The words slipped from his lips without his permission. But Ace had seen the longing look, Sabo would shoot the thing each time he went form the living room to the kitchen, carrying with him more tasty snacks.

Sabo looked surprised before he laughed “Thank you!”

A moment later, Ace was joined by a friendly dragon on the couch, and he found much to his surprise he didn’t mind too much. Not with the way Sabo smiled at him and whispered a soft “Thanks for being cool Ace...I’ve never thought I meet someone who didn’t make fun of me for this.”

“Just don’t talk to the food about me anymore and we’re cool.” Ace joked lightly.

Sabo flushed darkly, looking away he didn’t notice Ace scoot a little closer. It was obvious during their talking that the blond couldn’t think properly when Ace got too close- and wasn’t that a thrill to learn?- it wasn’t a surprise that he started rambling the moment their shoulders touched “But who else am I supposed to talk to? I don’t have any friends that will listen to me talk about how hot you are- I mean! I-”

His words were silenced by a pair of lips. “You can talk to me. I’m your boyfriend.”

“Y-you are?”

“Yes. I decided as of right now.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Can I kiss you again then?”

“I thought you never ask.”

#SaboAce moment #May be a pre-MarcoAceSabo #Sabo's odd habits #For those wondering Ace helps him open his bakery

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recentanimenews · 5 years ago

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Ranking All 50 One Piece Anime Arcs Up to Wano (Yes, Even The Filler)

The Wano arc is in full swing, with the latest episode finally bringing us an amazing first clash between Luffy and Kaido. However, with Wano, the number of One Piece arcs (including filler) has been brought up to fifty, and that seems like a great time to rank them all.

50. Buggy's Crew Adventures

49. Post Alabasta

48. Foxy's Return

47. Spa Island

Foxy returns again in Spa Island, though this filler arc is mostly notable for the fact that Luffy uses Gear Third to split an artificial island in half. That alone wins this arc points.

46. Warship Island

45. Little East Blue

44. Z's Ambition

43. Straw Hat Separation

42. Diary of Koby-Meppo

41. Goat Island

40. Chopper Man Special

Chopper Man has Chopper in a cape. It's worth it for that. Please @ me. Chopper Man, you're my hero, and I hope you one day get a Chopper Man & Sogeking Save The Grand Line special.

39. Romance Dawn

38. Orange Town

37. Ruluka Island

36. Ice Hunter

35. Marine Rookie

34. Silver Mine

If you didn't get enough Bartolomeo in Dressrosa, then surprise! They made a filler arc just for you.

33. Boss Luffy Specials

32. Caesar Retrieval

Caesar made for a fine antagonist on Punk Hazard, but he's even better as shreiking deadweight that the Straw Hat Crew and Company have to keep alive.

31. Little Garden

30. Loguetown

29. Zou

28. Fishman Island

27. Ocean's Dream

26. Syrup Village

25. Dressrosa

24. Return to Sabaody

23. Reverse Mountain

22. Long Ring Long Land

21. Whisky Peak

20. Reverie

19. Post Enies Lobby

18. Punk Hazard

17. Post War

16. Amazon Lily

15. Jaya

14. Thriller Bark

13. Impel Down

12. Wano

A revamped art style and a fresh sense of direction has turned the burgeoning Wano arc into a great experience for long time One Piece fans, along with providing a solid place for new fans to jump into the series. This ranking my change once we get further into it, but for now, the Straw Hats reuniting and quickly learning of the awe-inspiring power of Kaido has earned Wano a choice place on this list. Also, "Over The Top" is one of the best opening themes ever, One Piece or otherwise.

11. Drum Island

10. Baratie

9. G-8

8. Alabasta

7. Marineford

6. Sabaody Archipelago

5. Arlong Park

4. Enies Lobby

3. Whole Cake Island

2. Water 7

1. Skypiea

Want to make your own ranking? Then watch One Piece on Crunchyroll! It's literally the only way.

What is your favorite One Piece arc? How do you feel about this ranking? Let us know in the comments!

------------------------

Daniel Dockery is a writer and editor for Crunchyroll. He has a Twitter, where you can disagree with him.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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