#garp telling ace that the importance of his life is up to him and no one else

[nururu]

"garp let ace die" ace killed himself. nice that you let the entire point fly over your head though. people who blame everyone else for their problems truly want there to be a villian in aces story. ace was his own worst enemy. idk how you guys think "garp let ace die" when ace would've killed himself regardless of who stepped up for him. obviously. because his entire friends and family and even hundreds of people he'd never met stepped up for him and risked their lives for him and none of that mattered. how would garps influence have changed anything? if Luffys didn't? if white beards didn't? ace wanted to die. ace chose to die. ignoring that and blaming his death on everyone else is a disservice to the story oda is trying to tell you.

[crezz-star]

Why Luffy is highly attached to Zoro and why Zoro is highly attached to Luffy, and why the straw hats is aware of this and accepts it.

(some rare rambles of Mine. This is based on my own character studies and observations. COPY PASTED FROM MY X [twitter] )

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👒

Firstly, we have to look at how Luffy grew up.

Luffy was given to Dadan by Garp, told her to take care of him. While Dadan introduced Luffy

to Ace and Ace at first was not very... Friendly. And I will not sugarcoat it, Ace did not care about Luffy as first and went through dangerous places that could have killed Luffy, and Ace again, shows how he did not care if that happened. Yet, just like with Shanks, Luffy was doing his best for Ace to accept him and let him join him.

It was always Luffy who was making an effort chasing after people he admires and began to care for, but was always getting denied.

And so being left alone.

Yes, Ace did accept him but not after Ace mentioned, along with Sabo that they should kill him first.

Luffy, being so young back then, and impressionable even, now have it engraved in his mind that if he isn't useful, he will never be accepted by anyone or anywhere.

And so, its become a fear in Luffy deep down, a fear he would push far back in his mind. But would reflect in his actions when he grows up and finds his crew. Luffy is afraid to be useless and abandoned by people he shows interest and care for. Which is why he gets possessive of what is his. That when anyone shows desire to leave, he gets upset and emotional and... angry. That he doesn't want anyone to leave, doesn't allow anyone to leave. And if they still do leave. It deals a blow to his emotional and mental state. He becomes irrational to the point that to bring the person back, he will let himself be walked on like a doormat.

That's where Zoro comes in.

Luffy first heard Zoro's name and immediately felt intrigued. And when he finally met Zoro, who was in obvious predicament, Luffy was hooked especially knowing that Zoro was a good person, and decided that ah. He wanted this man to be in his crew. So being the typical Luffy to do all he can to gain favor towards people he shows clear interest in, he tells Zoro, if I bring back your swords, you WILL join my crew. Because in his mind, if he's useful, people would accept him then! He was sure of it. Since that's how it was with him growing up.

Zoro would find this odd. Even calling Luffy the son of a demon because of how messed up his thinking is. But I think this would be the start of Zoro's observation of Luffy and how Luffy would need someone to correct him in his thinking and actions later on.

So Zoro joins Luffy not just because he freed him and gave his swords back, but because of the strength Luffy showed. One that Zoro acknowledged and respected.

Luffy gaining his first mate would then start to make Luffy be unconsciously more aware of how his crew acts and he would notice how Zoro, unlike everyone else in his life, got his back the most

Zoro chooses to follow him of his own accord. And this would get even more evident when: Nami, betrays Luffy and Zoro told him they should just let her be. Luffy insisted of course, but it shows Zoro's protectiveness of his captain. Sanji favoring Nami and making it almost seem that his reason of joining was her, (this was cleared up later in the crew barrel vows of course), still Zoro did not like him any better as he still thinks Sanji would most likely value women more than their captain.

Usopp leaving the crew and even challenging Luffy for a duel to be captain, which is a huge disrespect to Luffy. Yet Luffy was about to accept him with open arms again as if nothing happened. That's why Zoro stepped in to keep him in check.

This was one of the important moments

Luffy sees how Zoro really truly have his back. Zoro always returning to his side no matter how many times they got separated throughout their adventures. Zoro taking care of his crew, that of which Luffy all recruited himself (Zoro did not trust them all too easily), and now, + 

Zoro giving Luffy a hard life lesson to be a good captain.

Zoro really was looking out for him. So much. Sticking by him all these times no matter how many times his Life got put to danger.

That's why when Zoro mentioned if he fails as a captain, it will be him who will leave, Luffy would panic at the thought and was enough to make Luffy listen and stop desperately chasing after a crew who disrespected him.

Not Zoro. He doesn't want Zoro of all people to leave him.

So Luffy listens. Reflects. Learns how to be a better captain.

but I think one of the most important moment Luffy saw how Zoro will never leave him , like everyone else he cared for in his life did, was when Zoro made his vow to him in Baratie.

That's when he knew, Zoro will not betray him. Will never leave him. That's when he knew, he can trust Zoro with his life and his future crew. He knew Zoro would keep everyone safe.

Luffy felt like he doesn't have to chase after Zoro so terribly desperately the way he did with Shanks or Ace. For the first time in his life, someone CHOSE to stay by his side. Vowed to stay by his side.

It made Luffy happy. Glad. Acknowledged. For some it would seem like the vow was someone serving Luffy. But in Luffy's mind, Zoro made that vow, not because of a master and servant thing, it was because they would be partners, equals in chasing after their dreams. Someone Luffy can face the world with. Give and take.

And this is why Luffy is so attached to Zoro. Because he knows Zoro will never leave him. Zoro will never betray him like what the others did (even if they had their own reasons). Because Zoro chose to be by his side. To be his anchor. His voice of reason when he's washed over with irrational emotions. Why he listens to Zoro the most, becoming silent to listen close to every word that Zoro would say.

Zoro takes care of him and the crew and family Luffy had built.

Zoro stayed and choose to keep staying and returning to him, and because of this, because of Zoro, Luffy learned that he doesn't have to chase after anyone again. That if people wants to stay, they would. That if people wants to stay, they should be the one to ask Luffy. To tell him. To beg him. Because Zoro knows and sees that Luffy is a person worth following and being loyal to.

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Now on to why Zoro is attached to Luffy.

I would be lying when I deny the idea of Zoro seeing some parts of Kuina's personality with Luffy.

Kuina did her best to get stronger and prove herself as a great swordsman despite being female, because Kuina believes that, just because she's female, she was weak. Unless she works hard, but still she still have such thoughts buried in the back of her mind. This is why she desperately pushes herself so much. To make people acknowledge her for her own skills and efforts, because she's afraid to be disregarded, left behind. To be not be taken seriously. To be useless.

Who else have this unspoken desperation to be acknowledged and fear of being useless?

Luffy.

Zoro most likely saw the similar personality traits, and seeing how Kuina is important to Zoro, how their shared dream is what pushes him forward, it may have helped him to somewhat lower his guard, even a bit slightly, towards this funny rubber boy.

Humoring him by joining his crew. And eventually, Zoro being able to see the strength Luffy has, and if there's anything that would gain Zoro's favor and respect? It's strength and heart.

Reason why despite seeing him as his enemy, Zoro respects Mihawk, and even the opponents he had hard time defeating.

And towards Luffy, Zoro sees that endless pool of potential And power.

Making him accept Luffy more and more, not just as his captain or the person he dedicates his loyalty to, but as his equal. Just like he did once with Kuina.

He saw her not just as his goal, but also as his equal.

Zoro's treatment and view of Luffy as a simple naïve pirate became something more and was solidified when he saw how Luffy truly valued his dreams at Baratie. How Luffy took it very seriously even knowing that Zoro might die. Zoro took that as full serious acknowledgement and felt that Luffy DID respect him. That Luffy was serious after all.

The way Luffy stopped Johnny and Yosaku from interfering in Zoro's fight Gained tons respect from Zoro. Because that dream of his, isn't just his. It was Kuina's too, and Zoro felt as if through that, Luffy respected Kuina's dream too, Why Zoro was thankful to Luffy. That's why Zoro began to follow Luffy. Because he knows, if anyone can help him accomplish his dream, a dream he shares with his old childhood friend, If anyone can help him reach his goal, it would be Luffy. His dream is safe with him.

Along the way, Zoro would also see how Luffy is reckless. That his kind - and at certain times naive - heart was also going to be his downfall, that's why Zoro keeps Luffy in check, at first Zoro was doing all of his caring for Luffy as means to reach his goal, but spending time with him and understanding him, Zoro saw something more about Luffy, saw his potential quality for greatness and Zoro wants to.. NEEDS to see it.

The way Luffy carries burdens of others and liberates them.

It's something Zoro finds not just as something respectful, but something he admires.

With Luffy by his side, everything and anything feels possible.

That's why as early on as Alabasta, Zoro had already developed a desire to make Luffy's dream, one of his own, his new dream. But still prefer to keep quiet about it when someone asks.

Zoro's attachment to Luffy started as something reminding him of a long passed friend, but as time passed, began to see and understand Luffy more, seeing him as a person/captain worth following, and as well as his most trusted best friend.

Which is why Zoro will do everything he can to help Luffy. Protect what's his and what he built. Help Luffy in reaching his goal, crowning him as king of the pirates, by making Luffy's dream part of his, and is also now his priority as well.

Now on to why the straw hats accepts this.

They all have their own mistakes and majority of the crew, Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Robin, all 'betrayed' Luffy. I say that with a quotation because they all had their reasons. I'm well aware they really didn't do it wholeheartedly and they were just.... In a certain predicament or internal turmoil

They know how Zoro would do everything he could to protect Luffy. How amongst all the older og crew, Zoro was the ONLY one who never even dared to betray Luffy at all. Not even having thoughts about it. That Zoro was EXTREMELY loyal and protective of their captain. Making Luffy favor Zoro the most even if he doesn't notice it himself.

They can see how Zoro and Luffy once at each other's side, can be immersed in their own little world. How when they fight, the silent looks they give one was enough for each other to know what they were planning.

The crew sees this and accepts this. Because deep inside, they have their own guilts. Except perhaps for Franky , Brook and Jinbei but those three are the mature types to already accept that what level of bond that Zoro and Luffy has, None of them can EVER have nor break.

Thus the whole strawhats understands this.

Understands that Zoro and Luffy is inseparable. Is attached at the hip and that's okay. Because they have their whole faith in them, as captain and vice captain. They trust them with their life. Especially with how Luffy gave them a home and Zoro protecting them.

How both Zoro and Luffy would agree to save them

Strawhats is their family and Zoro and Luffy are the protectors of the family

Luffy, the savior and liberator.

Zoro the guardian and protector 

[diminuel]

Alt family drama: Crocodile is the bio kid of Whitebeard. Whitebeard is absolutely the type of person to try and use either Ace or the fact Crocodile has a family in general to try and weasel back into his life.

Unlike Dragon Crocodile just up and ghosted one day. Figured if his father didn’t approve of how he wanted to live his life there was no point in trying to negotiate, just make a clean break. As long as Dragon is in the picture i think thats a grudge Crocodile moves past but doesn’t personally forgive. He just has more important things to do than try and “prove” his old man wrong. But more importantly he’s moved on from caring. Dragon would probably *cry* if he got a call from Garp one day about how he was wrong and Dragon was right about everything and he’s leaving the Marines and wants to support the RA however he can at his age.

If Crocodile got a letter from White Beard he would throw it away without reading it. Doesn’t even care enough to burn it.

…but Dragon would probably be pretty receptive…would probably have LOVED the option to hand Luffy off to Roger if he had had it, so White Beard can’t be *that* bad, right? (He isn’t, Dragon just never in a thousand years would ever guess he would be in the position of judging someone ELSE’S dysfunctional relationship with their father.)

…unfortunately Garp and Whitebeard are like water and oil. Crocodile is honestly kind of surprised and relieved how little he is actually involved in any of this drama. WB is exactly the opposite sort of grandpa. Sneaks candy into the kids’ hands. Absolutely spoils them. Would sooner die than tell one of these precious angels ‘no’ or allow them in any sort of radius of negativity.

Garp would say he’s being tortured. He has literally had to train his own co-workers’ ADULT children BECAUSE they were so spoiled by their own parents as kids. Its a cold day in hell before anyone SOFTENS one of HIS grandkids!

Dragon finally experiences the delight of being able to point at an old man doing something annoying towards his family and declare to Crocodile that its just like *you* darling! He forgives Crocodile for every jab he’s ever made about Dragon acting like his father because he had no idea how *fun* it is to do! (crocodile will take to his grave he finds Dragon’s simple enthusiasm over something so juvenile adorable)

Aww, that‘d be so cute!

And maybe through WB proving himself to be quite a good grandpa, Crocodile - despite his insistence that he is done with it all and has long moved on - might get a chance at truly putting it behind him. Because I think Ace being part of WB‘s crew would have inevitably made him feel /something/ about it or stirring up unexpected feelings. Maybe he‘d be worried that he wouldn‘t accept Ace for who he was or have ulterior motives.

(I assume this would happen after Marineford if WB survived? Or would he find out sooner and try to reach out? The thought of WB just showing up in Windmill Village to meet his grandkid(s) makes me giggle.)

[eroguron0nsense]

"The Marines Are Garp's Found Family"

I am something of a certified Garp hater but one of the things I see floating around a lot of comments sections regarding Garp's behaviour at Marineford (i.e. his conflict of love and duty re: failing to do the right thing and help save Ace/leave the Marines for any number of reasons) is the notion that Garp is choosing between two found families: his grandchildren, and the marines that he's come to see as a second/found family in the vein of every other One Piece child looking for a place to belong and this is, as far as I can tell, pulled out of someone's ass. We truly don't know enough about Garp or what he thinks of the Marines to conclude that they are, in any way, shape, or form for him, a family that effectively filled a need for him that wasn't already met. He's mentored some kids, certainly, and he's close to Sengoku, but Garp is a massive mystery and the only feelings we see him display toward the Marines are a) absolute, flawed loyalty and b) a desire to see them change with a subsequent generation, hence his willingness to defend Coby til the bitter end. Garp's dedication to the Marines reads more like steadfast dedication to the platonic ideals of their propaganda –in spite of him knowing full well how fundamentally corrupt and oppressive they are– than anything related to seeing them as his kin or family; you know, the thing he decided was less important than his duty to The Evil Empire. If we're talking about Found Family though, there's a marine with a way stronger perception of that, who we know for a fact was raised by Sengoku and dedicated his life to serving the people who took him in after he lost everything. Corazon more than anyone sees Sengoku as his adoptive father, and the feeling's returned; after his expulsion from Mariejois and the incredible traumas of his childhood, they're the only people who gave him safety, stability, and affection. He has more motivation than virtually anyone to be unflinchingly, painfully loyal to the Navy, but when he's confronted with Law–a sole survivor of Flevance and living incarnation of the WG's cruelty–he's horrified, guilt-stricken, and eventually risks everything for a child he's only really known for a short time, betraying the Navy and his mission to steal the Ope Ope no Mi, because he knows in his heart that it's the right thing to do as a parent. He dies for love, but also to a lesser extent for justice– to give a child who's lost everything to the oppressive system he was part of, a child everyone else has failed and abused, who was condemned to death by the World Government, a second chance at life. Cora had a found family in the Marines and he left/betrayed them anyway because he knew, when confronted with a living example of their atrocities, where his real duty and morals lay. That their hypothetical interests didn't supersede the life of a little boy that their higher ups stole everything from and ruined. Garp could never.

[moongothic]

This is gonna turn into some Crocodad Propaganda eventually but putting the man aside for a little bit

Let's be real for a moment. Regardless of who Luffy's other biological parent is, regardless of if they're relevant to the story or not, no matter what has become of that person, if they're dead or somewhere out there alive, etc-- I believe Oda "knows the truth".

Although it took One Piece until post-Enies Lobby to reveal some of Luffy's blood relatives to us, Oda had technically introduced both Garp and Dragon to us all the way back in the East Blue saga. And Ace was introduced not too long after in the Baroque Works saga, along with his tattoo which held that secret tribute to Sabo all along. (Also he was introduced as "Portgaz D. Ace" meaning Oda must've intended to make the two non-blood brothers from the get-go.) All this means that Luffy's family, both adopted and blood relatives, have been in Oda's mind from the very begining of the story. And so if Oda had figured out Luffy's grandfather, father and at least one brother (if not both) from the begining, then why would he not have decided what became of the person who gave birth to the idiot as well? Like considdering how detail-oriented and meticulous Oda can be, would it not be unusual for him to essentially forget about a character that important (in the sense that Luffy literally would not exist without them) and just handwave them away without much thought? Would that not be out of character for Oda? As such, I don't think it is not unreasonable for us to believe that Oda would know what happened to Luffy's other bio-parent. Mind you, it really could be just something like "Luffy's mother died of The Disease when Luffy was a baby", or "the mom fell down the stairs" or "was eaten by a bear in the woods" or something, anything, whatever. Even if it truly does not matter to the story one bit, I'm sure Oda knows the truth of what happened and why that character wasn't a part of Luffy's life.

But at the same time, if the identity and the fate of Luffy's birthing parent truly did not matter to the story at all, then why wouldn't Oda just tell us who that was and what happened to them? In an SBS or an interview? It's not like people haven't been asking about it, because fans and staff alike have been asking about it for years. If the information really would not change anything, be it the direction the story will take or how we view the characters, if it really is just worthless trivia, then why keep it away from us?

Now of course, I'm sure you'd want to point out that one time Oda told Mayumi Tanaka that "A young boy's adventure begins after he leaves his mother's arms. I want to tell this young boy's adventure story, so his mom is not part of it." And Oda isn't known for lying, we do kind of want to take what he told Mayumi Tanaka at face value. At the same time though. If Luffy's other parent did become a plot relevant character in like the final 200 chapters of the story, after a 1100 chapters, they and their potential connection to Luffy would not have mattered to the story for 90% of its run. For an overwhealming majority of Luffy's adventure, that person would not have been a part of it. So if that character did become relevant, and Oda was lying, then it'd be a white lie at worst. But also, if Oda did intend to reveal that other parent eventually, when the time was right, then surely he wouldn't want to get people hyped up about it way ahead of time. If it did turn out to be a big plot twist or an otherwise important plot point, Oda would want to keep it under the wraps and a secret until the right time, you don't want to spoil something like that. Not to mention it could end up working like a distraction and make people not focus on the more important things happening in the story currently. So really, I think we'd all forgive him for a white lie there. Not to mention, technically speaking, if Luffy doesn't even have a mom but two dads, then Oda wouldn't really be lying either.

But that does bring up an important thing to considder.

If Crocodile does turn out to be Luffy's other dad, when did Oda get that idea, and when would he have committed to it?

Because, keep in mind, One Piece began back in 1997. Twenty seven whole years ago. Which means there's two things to considder; the evolution of queer rights over the past near three decades, as well as the fact that One Piece has more than surpassed Oda's original plans for the series. We must not forget how for a manga to remain serialized in Weekly Shounen JUMP, you need to perform well in the popularity polls consistently; if your manga starts dropping in popularity, JUMP can cancel it and force you end it prematurely. Of course, Oda arguably does not have to worry about those polls anymore after all these decades, there's no way in hell JUMP would ever cancel fucking One Piece in this day and age. But that might not have been the case 15 years ago, that was not the case 20 years ago, and that was absolutely not the fucking case 25 years ago. Like we all famously know that Oda originally planned One Piece to maybe run for like a year, then five years, then ten etc etc. That really is because at the begining of his career he had no quarantee he'd be able to tell the full story he was slow cooking at the back of his mind. Back in the early days, One Piece could've been canceled and ended prematurely, so Oda smartly chose to write it focusing very specifically on what mattered to the story at that moment, in the short term. Yes, he did start laying out the groundwork for things to come, but he did it so subtly that had OP been forced to end early, the series wouldn't have been left with too many massive, gaping plotholes or unresolved sidestories. Another thing to keep in mind is how comic artists for JUMP do have editors etc who can have a say in what goes into the manga (famously, Sasuke only existed because Matashi Kishimoto's editor suggested it). So again, while Oda might be able to do whatever the hell he pleases in One Piece at this point, that wouldn't have been the case 20+ years ago. He would have been more or less at the whims of his editors back in the day.

So would Oda have thought about giving Luffy, the main character of the series, a transgender father back in the year 2000? Could that really have been the secret plan from the start? And would Oda's editor(s) at JUMP have allowed that? Or, did Oda maybe come up with the idea later?

Now just so we're clear, I am NOT suggesting Crocodad was Oda's original intent and that his editors didn't let him do it or anything like that, my tinfoil hat isn't on that fucking tight. What I do want to suggest, is that it is plausible Crocodile being Luffy's other dad was an idea Oda was playing around with at the back of his mind from the begining, but wasn't sure he'd ever get to, mainly due to the uncertainty of series' future and partially because he could've been unsure if his editors would even allow him to write that story. And IF this was the case, Oda may not have even started committing to to the idea until around the CP9 saga. Or, it's possible Oda only got the idea sometime after the completion of the Alabasta arc/during Skypiea saga, and started laying down the groundwork for during Summit War so that, if he ever got around to it, he'd be able to commit and tell that story.

Regardless, let's be real.

It is interesting and kind of suspicious how Crocodile does just happen to be introduced around the same time the rest of Luffy's family was first shown to us, even if we didn't know Garp and Dragon were Luffy's family yet (this was also the same time the first canon queer character was introduced; Oda was playing around with queer characters during Crocodile's introduction, possibly testing the waters to see what he could get away with?) During the CP9 Saga we got the Miss Goldenweek cover story, where we see what's become of Crocodile after the fall of Baroque Works. This is of course adding to the world building of the CP9 Saga (where we're told the criminals who go through Enies Lobby are either sent to Impel Down or to Marineford; so us finding out Crocodile's gone to ID is playing off of what we knew would become of Robin and Franky and the Strawhats not come to rescue them. AND it's foreshadowing for the Summit War Saga), but also, soon after we were reminded of Crocodile and told where he's been sent off to, we were finally formally introduced to Garp and Dragon (Garp having already been mentioned by Aokiji at the begining of the Saga). And we close off the Saga watching Ace and Blackbeard have their fateful match. So again, Crocodile was on Oda's mind around the same time the rest of Luffy's family was. And indeed, after Thriller Bark we then move onto Summit War proper, where Oda does all The Things we would considder The Groundwork for Crocodad, most important being the introduction of Ivankov and their Devil Fruit. But again, just like before, Crocodile just happens to be there at the same time as this saga, which really heavily focuses on Luffy's family, plays out. While we learn about Dragon's secretive nature and connection to Iva-chan, Garp's feelings for the boys, Ace's struggle with his heritage and Luffy's love for him, Sabo and Garp... Yeah, Crocodile's just... Also there.

Whenever Oda starts dwelling into Luffy's family, Crocodile is always there. It's a bizarre coincidence if nothing else.

(And oh won't you look at that, Crocodile has once again become a plot relevant character, just in time for The Final Saga where Dragon has also started becoming actually plot relevant as well)

All of this to say, again.

The fact that Oda has refused to tell us anything about Luffy's other parent is sus, and to me indicates that either although unusual for him Oda genuinely just doesn't give a damn about Luffy's other parent, or he's been trying to play it safe for years so that if he ever got the opportunity, he could give Luffy two dads. (Or maybe there's some other twist that has nothing to do with Crocodile, that is possible too, I just feel like if that was the case then why hide it for 27 years?)

Whatever the case, I'm sure Oda knows the truth.

And I'm sure we will find out the truth eventually, be it on the pages of the comic or in the SBS.

[cozage]

The Daughter's Return: Part 12

The Morning After

Part 1 | Next Part | Table of Contents | Read this on A03

We did it folks! We made it to the end of the first act! I hope you enjoy!!! Thanks so much for sticking with me through this little journey (and if you're new here, I suggest you go all the way back to Part 1 and start from there!)

Word Count: 6.7k Characters: female reader x Portgas D. Ace CW: they’re just being cute and flirty once again

You woke with a start, a loud bang echoing nearby. It took you a second to place where you were and why your body ached. The mission, the ball, Garp, running through the woods, the files, Ace. 

“It’s okay,” Ace whispered. His strong arms were still wrapped around you, your head still against his chest. “Just sunrise artillery from the Navy Base.”

You nuzzled deeper into his chest. You didn’t get cold, but you liked the warmth he emitted. “How’d you sleep?”

“Didn't,” he said. 

“What do you mean you didn’t?”

He lazily traced lines across your back, deep in thought. “I kept watch all night.”

You snorted. “That was stupid.”

“What if the Navy found us?”

“We would’ve heard them.”

“What if they were sneaky?” He tickled your sides, making you let out a joyous laugh and jerk away from him. 

You quickly curled back into his chest once you were sure his assault was over. “We still would’ve heard them.”

Ace hummed. “What if a candle knocked over and caught the place on fire?”

“We’re made of fire, idiot.”

“Oh yeah.” He pulled you closer, so that you were almost completely on top of him. “Guess that’s true.”

“We should get up,” you noted. Marco would be waiting for you at the shoreline. 

“Five more minutes,” Ace begged. His fingers swirled along your back, enticing you to stay longer.

You sighed, snuggling closer to him. You didn’t want to get up yet. You just wanted to stay here with Ace, in your own corner of the world. 

“Hey, listen,” Ace started, breaking the silence after a few minutes. “I’m really sorry about last night.”

Your heart dropped. Was he already feeling remorse about your time together? 

“What about it?” 

“I sacrificed the whole mission and your safety because I didn’t tell you about my connection with Garp. I’m sorry for putting you in danger. That won’t happen again. That was really stupid of me.”

“That was really stupid of you,” you agreed, a wave of relief washing over you. You couldn’t even be mad at him anymore. You were furious last night, but it all seemed so trivial now. “Just, please promise me no more secrets from now on, okay? Especially ones that are important like that. And no more lies.”

“Okay,” he sighed, rubbing your back. “Then there’s something else I probably should tell you.”

His voice sounded more guarded, as if he were anxious. Your head jerked up, meeting his eyes. “What?”

Ace gave a hard swallow and sat up, pulling you along with him. Your heart started to quicken again, wondering what could be making him so nervous. 

You could tell he was trying to muster courage, so you didn’t rush him. Your hand reached out and grabbed his, giving it a squeeze of encouragement. 

“I lied the other day.” Ace finally said, his words rushing out. “I don’t want us to be casual. I want to be only yours, and you be only mine. I know I said I don’t like the whole exclusive thing, because I like freedom or whatever. But when I’m with you…God when I’m with you, I feel more free than I’ve ever felt in my life.

“I just…I wanted to tell you.” He paused for a moment, giving a hard swallow. “I don’t expect you to feel the same way, but I couldn’t keep it in. I hope it doesn’t make things awkward between us, because I want you in my life, whatever I can get. If you don't-”

“I do,” you said, squeezing his hands tighter. 

“You do?”

“Of course I do!” You pulled him in so your forehead touched his, the smell of campfire flooding your senses. “Portgas D. Ace, I want to be yours and only yours.”

“And I’m yours,” he mumbled back, pushing his lips against yours to seal the deal. 

You stayed tangled in the bed sheets, embracing each other fully, until the sun was brightly shining through the curtains. 

You finally pulled away from him, trying to get up. “We should head for the coast,” you said. “Marco’s probably getting impatient.”

Ace groaned, grabbing your arm and pulling you back to him. “Five more minutes.” He dotted your forehead with kisses between his words. 

“You said that five minutes ago. And the five minutes before that. And the five minutes before that.”

“And I’ll say it again in five minutes.”

You giggled and pinched his sides, forcing him to release you. You quickly jumped out of bed, pulling the covers along with you. 

“Hey!” Ace desperately reached for the duvet, but you managed to yank it from his grasp. 

“Up!” you shouted, throwing the blanket across the room and walking into the closet. “Come on! We have to go!”

Ace puckered out his lips in a pout, but he got up and sulked across to the closet, trying to find an outfit to wear. 

“Let’s go as a couple on a mid-morning beach stroll,” you offered, looking through the sundresses that the owner of the house had left behind. There was a checkered white and yellow dress that caught your eye, and you grabbed it. 

“So I just need to wear shorts and some flip-flops?”

“And a shirt.” You didn’t need another repeat of last night. You could hear him groan, but he didn’t put up an argument. You browsed the woman’s shoes, and picked out a cute pair of white-flowered sandals. They were a size too big and they weren’t very practical, but after running in heels last night, you weren’t afraid of anything. You retreated out of the closet and into the master bathroom to change. 

The dress was a perfect fit, and you twirled around in front of the mirror to check all of the angles. It was comfortable and easy to run in, but still complimented you in all the right ways. The only thing you were missing was a sun hat to cover your face and a beach bag to hold your things. 

You quickly combed your fingers through your hair, trying your best to tame the flyaways and knots that had formed overnight, and then you walked out of the bathroom. Ace was waiting for you in an unbuttoned dark blue floral shirt and tan cargo pants. He looked so handsome standing there, you couldn’t help but smile. 

“What?” he asked, a pink hue from embarrassment spreading across his cheeks. He looked down at himself, as if he was afraid he had forgotten something. 

“Nothing.” You walked up to him and wrapped your arms around his neck, giving him a soft peck on the lips.  “You just look nice.”

“As do you.” Ace gave you another, slightly longer kiss. “A life like this wouldn’t be too bad.”

You laughed and broke away from him to go find a bag. “We’d both be bored and you know it.”

“I know, I know.” His voice sounded like it had a hint of longing. 

As you dug through the closet, you couldn’t help but think of a life like this. You used to scoff at the idea of an island life, but maybe Ace wasn’t wrong. The two of you in a small cottage together, never having to look over your shoulder or be afraid of the Navy discovering your hideout. Maybe you could even have a few local friends, like that girl at the bar. Life could hold a slower pace. It didn’t sound so terrible with Ace by your side. 

But you loved your life of adventure on the sea, and you couldn’t imagine that being taken away from you. The beauty in life was the thrill of the chase. You can’t have that as a law-abiding island citizen. Besides, the Navy would never just look the other way if they ever saw you or Ace strolling the streets casually. You’d never be free from those wanted posters. Even if you wanted a quiet life, the two of you could never have it now. It was better to just push that delusional thought away and focus on what you did have. 

You were deep in thought when you came across an oddly shaped box. Curious, you opened it and found the perfect hat to complete your outfit. You squealed out in joy as you placed it atop your head, admiring the look. It was a straw hat, similar to the one Shanks used to wear when you were a kid. But this one was much higher quality, with a wider brim and a dark blue ribbon with a bow, almost the same shade as Ace’s shirt. 

“Everything okay?” Ace asked, walking into the closet. He laughed upon realizing the source of your excitement. “Cute hat.”

“Isn’t it?!” You beamed at him, satisfied with your find. “It’s perfect!”

“Reminds me of Luffy,” he noted. “He’s got one like that.”

“You need a hat too.” You flipped over to the husband's side of the closet, looking through the options. 

“I have a hat!” Ace scowled. “The orange one, remember?”

“I mean right now! To cover up that hair! And your face! The Navy got a better look at you than me, after all.”

You found a plain yellow ball cap that was only a few shades off of your dress, and handed it off to him. 

“Yellow isn’t really my color,” Ace said, taking the cap reluctantly.

“Too bad.” You pointed to your hat, and then to his shirt. “Our hats match the other one’s outfit. It’s like a couple thing.”

Ace groaned. “Please tell me you’re not that kind of girl.”

Your eyebrows knitted together in irritation. “What kind of girl?”

“The kind that’s gonna make me wear certain things because we're a couple and we have to match with everything we wear and do.”

“Idiot!” You hissed, smacking his head. “This is our cover story! To slip past the Navy and meet Marco?”

Ace gave you a blank stare, looking between his cap and you in silence. It was clear he had forgotten that you all were on a mission, not a vacation. 

“Just put the hat on,” you grumbled, turning back to look for a beach bag again. 

After a few moments, you found a decent-sized tote that would fit your dress and the files you had collected. You quickly shoved your items in the bag, and Ace extinguished the remaining candles around the room. 

You checked yourself over one more time in the bathroom mirror, and realized there were welts and bruises up and down your neck and chest area from last night’s activities. You fished out some of the concealer Whitey had left you, and did your best to cover them up. 

As you worked, you let your mind wander again. You wondered if there was a place you could be safe enough to live a quiet life. The islands your father protected had to be somewhat safe, especially if you were there. Perhaps the Navy would leave you and Ace alone if you didn’t cause any trouble. You had only just begun your adventure with him, but you couldn’t help but enjoy the simplicity of a home, a space to call your own. 

Ace popped his head into the bathroom, breaking you from your thoughts. “Ready?” 

You didn’t do as well as Whitey did, but most people probably wouldn’t notice the bruises on your body. Smoothing out your dress, you tried your best not to think about the what-ifs. You were a pirate, and so was Ace. You would live as pirates, and die as pirates. There was nothing more to it.

“Yeah.” 

You grabbed the house key and left behind the sapphire necklace you had worn the previous night, just in case the family returned home again. You wanted to give them something for allowing you to stay in their house, even if they had no say in the matter.

The two of you slipped out the back door and locked it, hiding the key where you had found it before. 

“Where do we go from here?” Ace asked, looking around. The little street was completely empty, no people to be seen. 

You pointed to the left. “That’s north, so let’s head that way. Stay on the paths, though.”

The two of you walked silently on the sidewalk. There weren’t many people out, and the ones you passed would barely make eye contact with you. The Navy must’ve sent out some kind of vague warning to keep people off the streets. It was smart. 

Ace’s bounty poster was up all throughout the town. You hadn’t noticed that detail yesterday evening, which made you unsettled. Thankfully his poster wasn’t a good representation of how he looked now. The blonde hair helped, but his bounty picture looked a few years old at this point. 

“I was seventeen in that picture,” Ace mumbled, reading your mind. “I didn’t even have my tattoos yet.”

“How’d you rack up a bounty that high when you were seventeen?” 

“I didn’t. I started out at 10,000 or some low number. It kept growing over the years, but the picture never changed. Not sure why.”

You laughed. “It helps us now, at least. Kind of funny that they have such a high bounty on the picture of a kid, though.”

“You’re one to talk! The little braided pigtails and the tongue sticking out at the camera is such a cute look on you.” Ace grinned at you, and you groaned. Your old bounty poster was at least five years old now, probably more than that. 

“They thought I was dead,” you whispered. “It’s different.”

“You don’t even look threatening in your picture. Three hundred and thirty million berries for a child is insane.”

You sighed, kicking a pebble down the sidewalk. “Not when you’re a Newgate. That name has gotten me more of a reputation in life than I could ever give myself.”

“Maybe for the Navy.”

“For everything,” you said. “For my position, my ideas, my upbringing, even my devil fruit powers. It always ties back to my father and my name.”

Ace shook his head. “Not true.”

You shot him a look. “What do you mean, not true?”

“Everything I heard about you was your own,” Ace said. “I didn’t find out you were a Newgate until I saw your bounty poster. Sure people make snide comments sometimes, but you got to where you are now because you’re good at what you do. Not because of your name.”

“Well yeah.” You had to agree with him there. “But I only got that opportunity because of my na-”

“No.” Ace’s voice was more forceful now. “Names have nothing to do with it. Blood has nothing to do with it. You are where you are because of the choices you made. Not because of who your father is.”

You could tell this was a sensitive subject for him, so you chose to let it go. He was right, after all. Even if you didn’t always feel that way. 

Instead of answering, you laced your fingers through his and the two of you resumed walking in silence until you reached the coast. You had passed by a few low-ranking Naval Officers as you walked through town, but none of them had stopped you. 

But the coast was different. It was slightly secluded and was crawling with Naval members of much higher ranks. There were still civilians on the beach, but Officers seemed to be checking IDs before they’d allow anyone past them. 

“Fuck,” you hissed under your breath, and Ace’s grip on your hand tightened. 

You kept your casual pace, walking down the street that ran parallel to the beach. There didn’t appear to be a good option. You couldn’t even see the ocean to see if Marco was waiting for you. 

“This way,” you whispered, leading Ace off into a dense patch of trees. You needed a better vantage point. You needed to look for Marco’s boat. If he was there, you could make a better plan. 

The two of you moved through the woods as quietly as you could, aiming for the top of the gentle slope. When you got to the top, you peered out across the horizon, until your eyes fell upon a small fishing boat. 

“Do you have binoculars?” you whispered, but Ace shook his head. 

“They’re back at the rendezvous point, I think.”

It was all or nothing, then. If the boat wasn’t Marco, you all would be in deep shit anyway. You pulled out your compact mirror, trying to catch the light that fell between the tree branches. 

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Ace asked, looking around. 

You aimed the mirror at the small fishing boat, moving it slightly from side to side to signal it. “What is?”

“There were so many high-level officials. Admirals, Vice Admirals, even Sengoku. But we haven’t seen them yet.”

“They’re here,” you assured him. The man on the fishing boat got up and turned to look in your direction. After a few moments, the boat started rowing toward the dock nearby. 

“They’re hiding,” you continued to explain. “Waiting for us to make an appearance. The island is about 10 miles of shoreline, so they’re probably evenly spaced throughout it. Sengoku and the two admirals that are here are likely in the middle of the island, waiting for an official report to come through so they can get to the scene and capture us.”

“Can they get here that fast?”

“Sengoku can.” He was one of the few navy men that really scared you. You could escape from Akainu and Aokiji- in fact, you had once before. You hadn’t seen Kizaru last night and suspected that he wasn’t on the island, which was the best outcome. You’d take Akainu and Aokiji over Kizaru any day.

But Sengoku was not someone you ever wanted to encounter again. Once had been enough, and thankfully you hadn’t been his target. Since you had acted with civility and he respected your father, he had let you off with a warning. But that had been when you were just a child. You doubted he would give you the same grace now. 

Your eyes stayed on the boat as it rowed closer. A small blue flame was burning at the front, and you breathed a sigh of relief when you finally saw it. Marco. You were almost to safety. 

“And how do we beat him?” Ace asked. “Sengoku?”

You referred back to your old strategy compendium. “As long as he hasn’t been told directly to target you, he will usually leave low-level pirates alone if they’re not causing problems. He just wants to get his job done.”

Ace bit his lip, deep in thought. “But he’s been told to target us. And we have been causing problems.”

You gritted your teeth, frustration and fear rising. “I know.”

“So how do we-”

“I don’t know, Ace!” you cried, looking at him in desperation. “We’re screwed if he finds us, okay? I don’t have a plan!”

“Hey.” Ace’s arms immediately wrapped around you, pulling you tight against him. “It’s okay. We’re almost home and we’ve got each other. We’ll make it.”

You let him hold you for a few moments, trying to calm yourself down. It was a short distance between the forest and the dock. If you timed it right, you could sneak out without ever alerting the guards. You could escape without them being the wiser. 

As the row boat got closer, you realized there were three members aboard. Kala and Mihal must’ve made it to the boat already, which was good news. You were likely only going to get one go at this. You also noticed that the boat had been fitted with a new engine, an addition that Ace seemed to be thrilled about. 

“I can use my flames to power that,” he said. “Pops had it built custom for me. We’ll be able to fly out of here.”

“We just have to get there,” you mumbled. Your eyes scanned the shoreline, and your dread mounted as you watched two Officers begin to walk toward the little dock Marco was heading towards. 

“Get ready,” you grabbed his hand and crept to the tree line, crouching to remain more hidden. “We’re going to have a short window of time.”

The two navy men stood, waving to the boat. You could hear them calling out, demanding to see forms of identification from each member. Marco continued drifting in at a slow pace, pretending to rummage around for an ID. 

Once Marco finally got close enough to the dock, you pulled Ace’s arm. “Let’s move.”

The two of you walked briskly to the little dock, trying your best not to draw attention to yourself. It was only thirty yards. You were so close. 

“I’m telling ya, I don’t carry an ID on me! You’ve seen me out here all morning!” Marco yelled to the officers. “Why would I-”

“I’m sorry sir, then we’ve got to call it in. Just protocol. We’ll get the Fleet Admiral down here and we can sort it out.”

“I don't think that's...” Marco’s voice faltered when he saw you and Ace coming towards him.

The man pulled out his snail transponder. “Hello, Fleet Admiral? This is section 2-0-6-B-5. We’ve got a situation.”

Seconds. You had seconds to act. You sprinted as fast as you could, Ace right on your heels. In a panic, you grabbed the transponder and pushed the man into the ocean. Ace followed suit, shoving the other Navyman into the water. The two of you jumped onto the boat, not even bothering to look back. 

“Come in section 2-0-6-B-5.” Sengoku’s eager voice was on the other end of the line, and your stomach did flips. “What’s your status?”

The engine roared to life, Ace fueling it with every drop of power that he could. The boat took off, the tiny dock and the island getting smaller by the second. 

“2-0-6-B-5.” The voice was angrier and deeper now. You suspected it was Akainu. “Give your status report! Right now!”

Everyone’s eyes were on you, waiting to see what you would do. Ace gave you a playful grin and nodded, encouraging you silently. 

You pressed the snail transponder button, your voice echoing through the speaker. 

“You lose again, Akainu. Better luck next time.” 

A smile appeared across your face at the thought of his reaction, and you were certain he could hear your smug attitude across the transponder. 

“Newgate?!” Akainu shouted. “Somebody get Garp over here immediately!” 

You could hear roars of anger and frustration as the chaos ensued, and you quickly disconnected the snail so you couldn’t be tracked or contacted again. You threw the connection device into the ocean, pride swelling in your chest. It had been close, but there were no casualties or injuries, which means it had been an overwhelming success as long as…

You turned to Kala. “Did you get the photos of the documents?”

“A walk in the park.” She grinned, handing over her snail to you. “We were in and out in 20 minutes. Took the Navy a little too long to realize Ace probably wasn’t acting alone. By that point, we were already out and setting off the flare.”

You let out a sigh of relief. “Good to hear. Glad it was a success.”

“You scared the shit out of me,” Marco said, shoving you lightly. “I heard on the hacked transponder that Ace was captured. And then Ace was free. And then he was gone and had taken a prisoner with him. I never heard anything about you! What the hell were you doing?”

“Wait, they never said anything about me?” you glanced at Ace, confused. Surely the Navy should know by now. Garp should’ve told them when you escaped.

“Nothing,” Mihal said, and Kala nodded in agreement. “You must’ve played your part pretty damn well. No wonder Pops calls you for infiltration work.”

“You were amazing!” Kala gushed. “That slap sounded and looked so real! How long did you guys rehearse that?”

“The slap was real,” Ace groaned, but he was smiling down at you from where he was. “She did it with no warning, too. Incredible thinking on the spot.”

Marco glanced between the two of you, eyes narrowing in suspicion. “I think I’m going to need a recap of the night.”

“We will,” Ace assured him. “When we get back to the Moby Dick. We’ll give everyone a briefing of what happened.”

Marco kept trying to catch your eye, but you refused to look at him. You knew he would be able to read your face to learn whatever he wanted to know, and you didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of last night quite yet. 

Instead, you curled up on a small part of the boat and opted to take a nap. You had gotten good sleep last night, but you had been up quite late. And between all of the running and adrenaline rushes, you were starting to feel very drained now that you were safe. 

You dreamed of a small stone home that overlooked the sea. You felt safe here, on this hidden island away from the world. It felt like the home your father always told you about when you were young. You were standing at the front door, calling out to a group of people that were playing in the surf of the ocean. A man, who you quickly realized was Ace, and two small children. You couldn’t help but smile, watching them run up the hill to your home, the toddlers struggling to keep up with the man you were so fond of. This was your little family, you suddenly realized. Your slice of paradise, the people who you would live and die for. 

And then, on the horizon: what you had thought were clouds were actually sails, the crest of the Navy proudly displayed. Your joy quickly turned to horror, and you turned and ran inside to grab anything to defend yourself. 

As you walked through the threshold, your home became a concrete room. Shackles on the wall suddenly tied to your wrists and pulled you in, clinging you to the wall. You were trapped. The sound of an iron gate slammed behind you. 

“Did you really think you could get out?” A calm voice came from behind you. Sengoku. “Did you really think you could escape from the Navy? I won’t be so forgiving this time, I’m afraid.”

“Please,” you sobbed, turning to face him. “I just want to live a normal life. Just me and Ace. Please.”

Sengoku’s face slowly morphed into Akainu, and you flinched from the heat he was emitting. Normally you burned hotter than he did, but today was different. The sea prism cuffs made you feel his full effect, and you realized why so many people were afraid of him. 

He grinned down at you, pure hatred in his eyes. “You’re going to get exactly the life you deserve,” he growled. “It’d be a fitting end for a magma girl to be burned at the stake, don’t you think? And we have just the man to set the flames.”

Ace appeared next to him, looking at you with such disgust that you shrank into the wall. If looks could kill, this surely would’ve been the end for you. He was dressed in a Navy outfit, just last night. But he was colder towards you, as if he were a stranger now. 

“Did you really think I cared about you?” he goaded, laughing in your face. “You need to wake up.”

You couldn’t help the tears that fell from your eyes now. The shackles held you so tight, you couldn’t even wipe them away. “Ace-”

“Y/N. Wake up,” he said again, his voice still full of anger. “Wake up!”

You opened your eyes with a start, letting out a soft sob. Ace’s big, dark eyes stared at you in concern, his hand resting on your face. It was a dream. Of course it was a dream. 

“You okay?” He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “You’re crying.”

“Fine,” you mumbled, pushing away from him and finally wiping at your eyes. “I’m fine.”

“Bad dream?” His arm reached out for you and you flinched away from him, causing him to hesitate. 

“I just want to be alone right now.”

“Well, bad news about that…” Ace gave a nervous chuckle. “We’re home.”

You looked up at him in slight alarm, your heart spiking. “Home?”

He pointed upward, and you realized you were sitting in the shadow of something massive. You turned around to find the Moby Dick in front of you. Home.

“Why don’t you go to my room and take a nap? I’ll go debrief Pops and then tomorrow we can have a full debrief with everyone together. You look even more tired than you did when you fell asleep.” 

“No.” You shook your head and wiped at your eyes. “I’ll be fine. It was just a bad dream. ”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No!” you snapped. He looked hurt by your harshness, and you tried to rephrase it in a gentler tone. “Sorry, not right now. Maybe later, if that’s okay?”

“Of course,” Ace said immediately, a smile returning to his face. “Whenever you want.”

You gave a silent nod and stood to grab the rope ladder. You climbed one rung before you turned back to him. 

“You’re not a secret Navy officer, right?”

Ace gave you a momentary blank stare and then burst into laughter. “Do you think I’m smart enough to pull that over on you? A pirate’s life is the only way for me.”

You gave him a nervous smile and started climbing again, trying to ignore the dull ache in your chest. You could trust Ace, you knew that in your bones. He would never betray you. It was just a bad dream. 

But if a pirate’s life was the only way for him, then the first part of your dream was just as unrealistic as the second part. 

“There she is!” 

Thatch pulled you over the railing of the ship and the other commanders gathered around to greet you. As you planted your feet on the ship, you remembered why you loved it here. Everyone’s smiling faces, glowing with pride at your accomplishment. There was never any envy among you and your adoptive siblings. Ace was right. This was home. 

Ace joined you on the deck, and the group of commanders and strategists began walking to the meeting office where you knew your father was waiting for you. Ace seemed to get more nervous the closer you got to the briefing room, but you were excited to share your successes of the previous night. 

You chose to sit between Ace and Kala since you knew that you all would be doing most of the talking. After everyone was seated, Ace began his recap of the evening. It took everything you had not to interject or add extra details, but you didn’t want to appear disrespectful. 

“We ended up deciding that Team A would become the distraction team while Team B would move to retrieval. The distraction-”

“Why?” your father interjected. He was never afraid to question decisions.

Ace turned to you, unsure how to respond. 

“There was an altercation with a Rear Admiral,” you admitted. 

Whitebeard’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of altercation?”

“I was dancing with him, and he offered to give me a tour of the house. I accepted but failed to inform Ace of the change in plans. He thought the Rear Admiral was taking me away, and quickly intervened. It drew the attention of the higher-ups, so we changed plans.”

Your father watched you and Ace very closely, looking for any signs of a lie. But you had told him the truth. Mostly, anyway. 

“And what exactly was this distraction?”

“She slapped me. Hard. It hurt pretty bad,” Ace said, rubbing his cheek at the memory. You had to cover your mouth to keep yourself from giggling, but the rest of the table wasn’t so polite and burst out into laughter. Even your father cracked a smile. 

Once everyone settled down, you continued the story. “I implied that he had made some kind of derogatory comment and got him taken away by some high-level officers and-”

“And then they took my shirt off and saw my tattoo!” Ace shook his head, chuckling as he remembered. “That really threw things into chaos.”

“Where were you?” your father directed the question towards you, and everyone turned to look.

“Oh.” You gave a shrug. “I was being questioned by a few Navy people about the man I came with and such. It wasn’t much of a big deal.”

“Nobody recognized you?” Marco asked. He sounded shocked. 

“My wanted poster is old and discontinued,” you explained. “And I had a good cover story.”

“You didn’t answer the question,” your father said, and your cheeks tinted in embarrassment. 

“A Vice Admiral recognized me as he was speaking to me privately, but it appears he didn’t notify anyone until after we had left the island.” 

Your father’s eyes widened. “Who?”

“Monkey D. Garp.”

You could hear a few sharp inhales around the room. Even your father looked startled, but his gaze was now on Ace. 

“How did you escape that?” Thatch asked. You could tell the group was holding you in a newfound respect, but you hadn’t done much. You were fairly certain Ace appearing was the only reason you weren’t rotting in a cell now. 

“Ace,” you said. “He burst through the window and shocked Garp, and the two of us made an escape. We hid out in an abandoned house until morning, and made our escape.”

A few whistles and whoops of congratulations came from around the table, but your father’s gaze on you was clear. He’d let you lie now, but you were expected to tell him the truth later. 

“That’s one hell of a re-entry back into the pirate world,” Namur said. “They don’t even know why, but a woman they thought was dead and the second division commander wrecked a Marine Ball for no reason, and then escaped off the island riddled with Marines without even being noticed.”

“Oh actually, they probably do think we had a reason for being there.” You reached into your bag, grabbed the files you had collected, and slid them across the table to your father. “Four files, mostly unimportant. But they think they know what we were doing there.”

Your father picked them up. “Have you examined them?”

You nodded, listing them off on your fingers. “A report on a country in Paradise under the control of a warlord. One about Roger’s late life. A falsified RA attack, and a rookie report.”

Your father nodded. “Could be useful, if put in the right hands.”

You shrugged. “Interesting reads for curious minds.”

A strategist from the eleventh division, Omri, reached for a file, but your father shoved them under some other papers he had. “I’d like to look at each file first before I distribute them. Kala and Mihal, please tell your side of the story now.”

Kala spoke most of the time, but the report was fast. Your father didn’t ask any questions, surprisingly, but she was very thorough in her report. She knew what was important and what wasn’t. You could see yourself getting along with her if you got to know her better. 

“Then the mission was a success,” your father said after Kala was done. “I’m glad to hear. Good job on everyone’s hard work to get it done. A celebration is in order for tonight. Everyone is dismissed.”

Everyone let out a closing cheer and started to get out of their seats. There were chores to be done and meals to be cooked, and you wanted to see those naval schematics to fine-tune your plan. 

“Division two leaders, stay behind.” Your father’s voice made your skin tingle. You were certain you’d have to answer a lot of questions, some you really weren’t looking forward to. 

A few of the commanders laughed as they left the room, but you and Ace stayed seated. Neither of you spoke, waiting for your father to ask the first question. You weren’t about to offer up more information than what he asked, and you were sure Ace felt the same. 

After a prolonged silence, he finally spoke. “Would you like to tell me what really happened last night?”

Ace stiffened beside you, proving that there had been some kind of lie that had been told. You silently cursed him. He’d have to get better about acting under pressure if he was going to stick around. 

“Garp knew who I was, but based on the intel I collected, he didn’t inform anyone of my identity until after we left the island.”

“Go on.” Your father watched you, his eyes flicking to Ace occasionally to see if you were telling the truth. Ace was like a walking lie detector around him. That would be troublesome if he asked the wrong questions.

“He brought my bounty poster into the room when he spoke to me. I believe his goal was-” You hesitated, but a nod of encouragement from Ace allowed you to keep talking. “His goal was to lure Ace into the room. He was sure that Ace was waiting outside, and he positioned himself to make it appear as if he was hurting me. Ace came through the window, the three of us spoke for a little while, and then Ace and I escaped without further problems.”

“What did you speak about with Garp, exactly?”

Ace cleared his throat. “About how he wanted me to be a Marine.”

You shot him a look. “And that you didn’t tell me your grandfather was in the Navy.”

This news didn’t seem to phase your father. “And after that? Then what happened?”

You nodded, getting back to the information you had to share. “Marco said that there was only ever a report that Ace grabbed a hostage. And the next morning, there were plenty of posters for Ace. But I didn’t see any for me.”

Whitebeard nodded. “So the Navy doesn’t know you’re alive? Good.”

“Well…” You gave your father an embarrassed smile. “I might have revealed it as we were leaving the island.”

Your father scowled at you, clearly irritated by your decision. “I told you to stop burning boats as you leave places. It gets messy.”

“I didn’t! But…hypothetically, I may have sent a message with a Marine Transponder Snail to Akainu telling him better luck next time.”

Your father stared at you for a few moments, trying to decide whether to scold you or laugh. You had to admit, it was a pretty stupid blow of your cover, but it was such a hilarious way to reintroduce yourself to the Navy you weren’t even mad about the increased risk you had given yourself

“You’ve got to watch that Admiral,” your father finally said, giving a light chuckle. “He’s cocky, but he’s got a temper that burns hotter than yours.”

You scoffed. “Too bad he doesn’t have the power to match it.”

Your father really laughed now, and you could feel the tension melt away again. You and Akainu were similar in all of the worst ways, but you had always been better than him. Which meant you had to mess with him whenever you could. And you almost always had your father’s support when you messed around with the Navy. 

“Okay, you two can go.” Your father wiped a tear from his eye and you smiled. 

You started to get up and head for the door, but Ace stayed seated.

“There’s one more thing you need to be aware of, Pops,” Ace said. The tone in his voice made you stop in your tracks. 

“Ace-”

“We’re dating.” Ace was staring at his hands, too afraid to make eye contact with you or your father. His words brought fluster to your cheeks, and you could see your father’s eyes widen in response. 

Whitebeard’s eyes flashed to you, dangerous and stormy. “Out,” he commanded. 

“But-”

“Out!” His haki began to roll over you in waves, but it didn’t affect you like it used to. You just rolled your eyes and exited the room, praying that you’d still have a boyfriend after their conversation was over. 

You waited for five minutes, and then ten. Ace still hadn’t come out, and you had started pacing the deck outside the office in anticipation. You were so anxious, you didn’t notice Marco standing nearby until he spoke. 

“Ace has been in there an awful long time,” Marco said, causing you to jump. 

“I don’t want to hear anything,” you grumbled. “You’re only going to make it worse”

“You know you’re off limits, right?” Marco asked, walking over to you. “Pops has never outrightly said it, but the commanders are supposed to leave you alone.”

You laughed dryly. “Only if they know what’s good for them. I could take any of them any day.”

“Not in a fight. I mean romantically, dummy.” He ruffled your hair, causing you to shoot him a look. “Commanders are to leave the Princess alone. It’s the unspoken rule.”

God, you hated that nickname. You could feel your blood boil at the mention of it. Your father had called you that when you were a kid, and certain crew members let it take on a meaning of its own; one that painted a much less kind image of you. Marco never meant it maliciously, but the name still made you angry regardless of who said it. 

“And what if the Princess pursued the commander?” you hissed, throwing venom into your words. “Then what?”

Marco shrugged, leaning back up against the wall. He pointed a thumb at the door and gave you a slight smirk. “Guess we’ll have to find out together.”

You didn’t respond to him. You were too worried to come up with any more witty responses. So you paced back and forth again, fiddling with your fingers. Waiting. 

After an eternity, the door creaked open. Your eyes quickly found Ace’s dark ones, lit up with mischievous glee. A smile spread across his face as he walked toward you, ignoring your glare.

“What is wrong with you?” you hissed. “Why did you do that?!”

“So I could do this!” He wrapped you in his arms and gave you a quick kiss on the lips, bringing an instant blush to your cheeks.

“Gross!” Marco called out, startling you both. You had forgotten he was there. “No more of that please!”

You stuck your tongue out at Marco, but Ace gave you a big kiss on your cheek, causing you to shriek and erupt into a fit of giggles. 

“Great,” Marco scoffed, but there was a smile on his lips. “This ought to end well.”

“It will!”

And it could have. It really could have.

--

Part one is complete!

What Now?

Tag list! @taeyoge @teiza @tojislawyer @trafalgardnami @bloopbopsblog @dancingnewcat @dxestyi @flooofity @nyxthedragon01 @deadsnothere @h-rhodes1598  @morgyyyyyyy @trafalgardvivi  @fiestynatureweeb @frogpogjoghurt @beepboopcowboy @ms-portgas @luvyallbabes

(if you'd like to be included in the tag list, just comment or send me a message!)

[blacklegsanjiii]

Hello again! I'm that anony user that asked you about ASL trio meeting Sanji through Garp/Zeff. I have another headcannon, what would happen if Zeff/Sanji were stranded a few years later when the Baratie was build and (When the ASL trio dated Sanji). One day, (Garp & the ASL trio werent at the Baratie), the Baratie gets attacked by Germa 66 soldiers (Bc Judge found out that Sanji is alive) Sanji/Zeff get stranded like in Canon, but ASL/Garp think they are died, they are rescued and the reunite.

Pick a name! Any name! Welcome back. Okay, so I get it. I do but can we just...traumatize them again? Like some pirate gang kidnaps Sanji during the raid and Zeff manages to follow them. Zeff moves fast despite his age and the peg leg! He's not sixty yet!

Also who the fuck is Germa and why do they want his kid? Zeff is confused. The gang is talking about the massive pay out they're going to get for bringing Sanji back and laughing to themselves. Zeff is working his way through the ship but he gets captured too so he and his little eggplant are in the brig and Sanji is wheezing and apologizing and Zeff is trying to calm him down and ask for an explanation. Which Sanji gives.

At some point some crew member is there and making fun of them and Zeff kicks his legs out from under him and the guy growls and pulls a sword out and goes for his other leg but Sanji sticks a leg out and then screams. Zeff is staring at his son's leg with a sword buried in his leg. Too deep to save the leg. Sanji only screams the one time and then he dissociates. A habit formed from Germa, Zeff guesses. They're dragged on deck and Zeff doesn't remember the sword no longer being in his son but a storm is brewing, just like last time. The crew is pissed because Sanji was to be brought to Germa unscathed but clearly since they're not getting paid any more it doesn't help.

There's a storm brewing and Zeff can see how bad it's going to get. Like it's going to be bad and his son is going to lose one of his legs. And it's getting bad quickly. Zeff manages to gets free and starts kicking ass and then when he looks at Sanji and sees some guy holding Sanji's leg. Sanji is not attached to his leg. So Zeff kills the guy and then checks his son over, forgetting what's going on around them. The ship runs around and they're stranded. Again.

Obviously Garp and ASL have no idea what's going. They show up to Baratie and Patty and Carne are explaining Zeff and Sanji are going so Baratie is closed until further notice. So now they're mourning, Zeff a second time. Until a few months later when Garp gets a call.

From Zeff.

He sails back to the East Blue and gets the kids gathered and brought to Baratie. They arrive and the boys are so excited to see Sanji and Zeff is holding the eggplant. Everyone is staring at the little blond whose legs stop below the knees. Zeff sets Sanji in a chair and tells the boys to be gentle as he pulls Garp into the kitchen to tell him the story. ASL are so gentle with the blond and Sanji assures them the people who did it are dead and Zeff is trying to figure something out for him. Sanji laughs a little and says he won't be a decent pirate like this.

Of course ASL tell him he's wrong and any crew would be lucky to have him. Garp is absolutely fuming in the kitchen and Zeff is trying to calm him down because the more important things is getting Sanji something to stand on and start healing emotionally. He still has a life and a dream ahead of him and Garp nods and holds Zeff close and says he's going to arrest him so that Garp knows where he's at all times. Zeff whacks him lightly with the peg for that. Of course finding legs for a kid is going to be a challenge but Garp says he'll work on it. When they go back out Ace has Sanji on his back to go be on deck as Sabo and Luffy keep yelling at him to be careful.

So they spend the day together and ASL all carry Sanji and keep yelling at the adults that he's theirs and to leave him alone! This is the only time they can share. They all eat dinner and the kids are all in Sanji's bed that night. They don't want to leave the next day but they have to. Then a couple weeks later Garp just shows up a few weeks later is like 'im taking this, I love you!' as he grabs Sanji and leaves! And goes to Water seven because they build ships, some legs should be easy!

Garp finds Franky-not Cutty Flam anymore- and holds Sanji out and says he needs legs. Franky agrees. So Sanji has some blades made for him and then a couple other modifications for swimming or more formal settings given his work. Garp pays him and Sanji thanks him with tears and Franky tells him it's no problem little bro! Look at him! And Sanji agrees. So now Garp is going back with his grandkids boyfriend and his boyfriends kid and Bogard is looking at him with a pained expression but Sanji is getting used the the blades so easily and running around already?? Look at him!!!!!! Look at his extra legs!!! He's so happy!!!

So Sanji is dropped off with all of his legs and ASL come with Garp and are so excited to see Sanji walking and running and stuff. Garp over the years will take Sanji to see Franky to get new legs/blades. So imagine everyone's surprise on the crew when Sanji is excited to Franky and talk about legs/body mods.

[enjomo-arch]

okay  let  me  spill  my  thoughts  bcs  it's  important.  about  ace's  'hate'  for  roger.  i  feel  like  the  term  hate  shouldn't  ever  be  used  to  describe  the  relationship  and  feeling  ace  has  regarding  his  father.

ace  never  hated  roger  to  begin  with.

and  i  think  generalizing  such  a  serious  feeling  as  hatred  for  one's  parents  is  wrong  in  this  case.  ace  did  not  know  his  father,  he  had  no  memories  with  him  because  he  was  born  later  and  not  before  the  incident  that  started  the  new  pirate  era.  ace  was  a  lost  child,  and  if  he  truly  hated  his  father  he  wouldn't  have  gone  to  random  taverns  to  ask  about  his  father,  who  he  was.  however,  people's  opinions  and  what  they  answered  his  "hypothetical"  question  of  what  would  happen  if  roger  had  a  son  rekindled  the  flame  in  him.  ace  felt  hurt.  he  doubted  that  he  thought  his  father  was  some  kind  of  degenerate  from  the  beginning,  or  even  at  all.  one  can  theorize  about  what  was  going  through  his  mind,  however,  it  must  be  remembered  that  ace  would  have  been  a  child  at  the  time  and  exposed  to  a  really  serious  trauma  from  his  environment  than  his  father  to  begin  with.  it  was  never  roger's  fault,  it  was  the  fault  of  people  who  forced  ace  poison  into  his  mouth.  telling  him  that  he  was  a  demon,  that  he  should  die,  that  he  should  have  his  head  beheaded  for  being  the  son  of  the  pirate  king.

this  trauma  is  way  different  than  a  trauma  that  could  have  been  righted  if  roger  had  actually  been  the  perpetrator  of  it,  but  his  father  was  absent  through  imprisonment  and  roger  from  the  beginning  wanted  rouge  and  ace  to  be  safe,  so  even  though  garp  is  a  marine  he  had  to  grab  the  last  resort  to  guarantee  his  family's  safety.  ace  being  triggered  by  mentions  of  roger  isn't  because  he  hates  him,  it's  because  he's  frustrated  to  what  happened  to  him,  to  the  fact  that  ace  has  no  memory  about  him.  what  would  he  have  to  say  about  a  father  he  doesn't  know,  and  even  if  he  wanted  to  know  some  information  it  was  nothing  but  hatred,  insults  and  other  pigheadedness.  he  didn't  want  to  hear  roger's  name  because  of  all  that  made  him  hurt  to  begin  with.  ace  was  in  the  case  of  more  so  '  if  i  weren't  his  son,  all  of  this  would  never  have  happened  to  me.  '  but  he  grew  up  to  his  throughts,  with  passing  years  and  becoming  more  mature.

in  a  talk  with  yamato  ace  says  "  it's  all  your  father's  fault  ?  "  "  stop  making  excuses.  "  "  you  can't  choose  your  parents,  yamato.  "  and  i  think  this  is  enough  to  prove  that  ace  does  not  hate  roger.  he  just  doesn't  own  him  anything,  because  he  has  no  memory  about  him.  this  is  also  what  he  says  in  the  talk  with  garp.  and  while  ace  talks  so  harshly  about  roger  i  understand  it's  his  want  of  not  being  associated  with  roger  because  he  got  adopted  by  whitebeard.

it's  a  much  different  case  in  ace's  situation  because  whitebeard  showed  him  acceptance  when  the  whole  world  didn't  want  to  accept  him.  ace  would  have  been  convinced  that  he  was  some  kind  of  outcast,  a  demon.  an  enemy  to  everyone  (  which  is  also,  a  thing  about  the  d.  family  being  enemies  to  gods  ).  however,  it  comes  down  to  the  fact  that  edward  has  given  ace's  life  a  new  meaning,  a  new  identity  for  which  ace  is  grateful  to  him.  recall  that  ace  planned  to  kill  whitebeard  from  the  beginning.  hah,  he  tried  to  kill  him  at  least  100  times  as  he  was  taken  on  board  of  the  moby  dick.  so  it's  not  like  ace  idealized  him  from  the  beginning.  in  whitebeard's  case,  ace  had  any  memory  of  him,  a  meaning  and  things  he  could  tie  to  edward  unlike  to  roger.  but  i  don't  think  ace  hated  him.  he  hated  the  fact  he  was  lost  and  couldn't  even  get  to  know  his  father  outside  of  people  speaking  badly  about  him  and  nothing  else.  he  couldn't  get  to  know  his  bloodline,  and  so  he  never  wanted  it.

i  believe  if  roger  was  in  ace's  life  everything  would  be  much  different  and  many  boundaries  between  what  ace  feels,  what  he  felt  as  a  child  and  so  many  unknowns  in  his  mind  would  be  blurred.  

[acepedia]

ABOUT: GOL D. ROGER

okay  let  me  spill  my  thoughts  bcs  it's  important.  about  ace's  'hate'  for  roger.  i  feel  like  the  term  hate  shouldn't  ever  be  used  to  describe  the  relationship  and  feeling  ace  has  regarding  his  father.

ace  never  hated  roger  to  begin  with.

and  i  think  generalizing  such  a  serious  feeling  as  hatred  for  one's  parents  is  wrong  in  this  case.  ace  did  not  know  his  father,  he  had  no  memories  with  him  because  he  was  born  later  and  not  before  the  incident  that  started  the  new  pirate  era.  ace  was  a  lost  child,  and  if  he  truly  hated  his  father  he  wouldn't  have  gone  to  random  taverns  to  ask  about  his  father,  who  he  was.  however,  people's  opinions  and  what  they  answered  his  "hypothetical"  question  of  what  would  happen  if  roger  had  a  son  rekindled  the  flame  in  him.  ace  felt  hurt.  he  doubted  that  he  thought  his  father  was  some  kind  of  degenerate  from  the  beginning,  or  even  at  all.  one  can  theorize  about  what  was  going  through  his  mind,  however,  it  must  be  remembered  that  ace  would  have  been  a  child  at  the  time  and  exposed  to  a  really  serious  trauma  from  his  environment  than  his  father  to  begin  with.  it  was  never  roger's  fault,  it  was  the  fault  of  people  who  forced  ace  poison  into  his  mouth.  telling  him  that  he  was  a  demon,  that  he  should  die,  that  he  should  have  his  head  beheaded  for  being  the  son  of  the  pirate  king.

this  trauma  is  way  different  than  a  trauma  that  could  have  been  righted  if  roger  had  actually  been  the  perpetrator  of  it,  but  his  father  was  absent  through  imprisonment  and  roger  from  the  beginning  wanted  rouge  and  ace  to  be  safe,  so  even  though  garp  is  a  marine  he  had  to  grab  the  last  resort  to  guarantee  his  family's  safety.  ace  being  triggered  by  mentions  of  roger  isn't  because  he  hates  him,  it's  because  he's  frustrated  to  what  happened  to  him,  to  the  fact  that  ace  has  no  memory  about  him.  what  would  he  have  to  say  about  a  father  he  doesn't  know,  and  even  if  he  wanted  to  know  some  information  it  was  nothing  but  hatred,  insults  and  other  pigheadedness.  he  didn't  want  to  hear  roger's  name  because  of  all  that  made  him  hurt  to  begin  with.  ace  was  in  the  case  of  more  so  '  if  i  weren't  his  son,  all  of  this  would  never  have  happened  to  me.  '  but  he  grew  up  to  his  throughts,  with  passing  years  and  becoming  more  mature.

in  a  talk  with  yamato  ace  says  "  it's  all  your  father's  fault  ?  "  "  stop  making  excuses.  "  "  you  can't  choose  your  parents,  yamato.  "  and  i  think  this  is  enough  to  prove  that  ace  does  not  hate  roger.  he  just  doesn't  own  him  anything,  because  he  has  no  memory  about  him.  this  is  also  what  he  says  in  the  talk  with  garp.  and  while  ace  talks  so  harshly  about  roger  i  understand  it's  his  want  of  not  being  associated  with  roger  because  he  got  adopted  by  whitebeard.

it's  a  much  different  case  in  ace's  situation  because  whitebeard  showed  him  acceptance  when  the  whole  world  didn't  want  to  accept  him.  ace  would  have  been  convinced  that  he  was  some  kind  of  outcast,  a  demon.  an  enemy  to  everyone  (  which  is  also,  a  thing  about  the  d.  family  being  enemies  to  gods  ).  however,  it  comes  down  to  the  fact  that  edward  has  given  ace's  life  a  new  meaning,  a  new  identity  for  which  ace  is  grateful  to  him.  recall  that  ace  planned  to  kill  whitebeard  from  the  beginning.  hah,  he  tried  to  kill  him  at  least  100  times  as  he  was  taken  on  board  of  the  moby  dick.  so  it's  not  like  ace  idealized  him  from  the  beginning.  in  whitebeard's  case,  ace  had  any  memory  of  him,  a  meaning  and  things  he  could  tie  to  edward  unlike  to  roger.  but  i  don't  think  ace  hated  him.  he  hated  the  fact  he  was  lost  and  couldn't  even  get  to  know  his  father  outside  of  people  speaking  badly  about  him  and  nothing  else.  he  couldn't  get  to  know  his  bloodline,  and  so  he  never  wanted  it.

i  believe  if  roger  was  in  ace's  life  everything  would  be  much  different  and  many  boundaries  between  what  ace  feels,  what  he  felt  as  a  child  and  so  many  unknowns  in  his  mind  would  be  blurred.  

[strawhatbaby]

tags from @franeridan because this is a great addition (split into paragraphs for readability)

#i think the main reason for this is that oda genuinely thinks about his characters outside of what he'll bring up in the manga #to me the most obvious example is zoro's family tree #never brought up! but the history of the shimotsuki clan brought him where he is #he doesn't even know #another great example is koala because we barely know anything about her life #but oda had actually said he thought so much about what brought her where she is that he made himself cry

#when you give history to your characters the characters bring the history with themselves #and a world's history is just every character history put together right? #oda doesn't stop about the current actions his characters are taking but loves his characters so much to give them years of history #outside of just how inherently important that history is #he gives them motivations and reasons that cover their whole lives

#you notice this when fans ask him to draw characters as children and their appearances in the doodles are #so obviously telling a story it's insane #but when you have a character like whitebeard or like garp #seventy years of personal history on their backs #and you truly thought about what they did each of those years #the story you're building will push you to wonder about what their history is in relation to each other #and that shared history will build a world so much vaster than if you'd just asked yourself what they're doing now

#ace was actively alive in the manga for such a small amount of time #yet he's everywhere his ghost is in every corner of the world #because oda didn't limit himself to saying he'd been out and about for three years he actually thought about what he'd been doing #and when you have so much history inside a character tied to people and places and events how can your world not be influenced by it?

#oda is INSANELY good at writing and to me the main reason is just how much he cares for every single one of his characters #as a writer it trips me every single time i think about it #you could write a whole manga on each and all op characters and it'd be a complete story worth reading how cool is that #my admiration for oda knows absolutely no bounds

I think the reason that the worldbuilding in One Piece feels so much deeper than a lot of other stories is because it never lets you forget about the ghosts.

[wantedwendigo]

HEADCANON: What if Luffy was born with an incurable desease?

I don't know if this headcanon already exists, but I thought it could be interesting. I also tried to post it on reddit already, but I'm not used to reddit at all, so - here I am!

First and foremost - I'm definitely not an expert in this kind of desease, but will try my best to represent it and assure that I don't intend to offense people affected by it! (and for a lil' side note, I'm not a native speaker so I'm sorry if there are some mistakes!)

It's just a little headcanon I had for some time now and I wanted to share it, so here it is:

Luffy was born with Osteoporosis, which causes fragile and porous bones that could break very easily. It's a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, causing the bones of those affected to break like glass if they're not careful enough.

People with osteoporosis sometimes are advised to take sunbaths for vitamins, which is funny considering Nika is the god of sun. They are also told that sport is very important, keeping their body as healthy as possible but since there are many risks of accidents, swimming is the best pick for motion and that's why Luffy, before eating the devilfruit was a particulary good swimmer.

Luffy loves meat, cause he wasn't allowed to eat that as a kid, since meals known for drawing calcium out of the body are not good for his health.

Just imagine, what his life was before meeting with Shanks and eating the Gomu Gomu no Mi, which would change his life forever.

Dragon, taking his sick baby to his father with a broken heart, because he knew that he could die under his care since the revolution army is not a good place for kids, living a very dangerous and rough life.

Garp, who didn't take Luffy to Ace and Dadan right away, because he knew he was different and had to be kept in special care, so he took him to Foosha instead, asking the mayor and Makino to take care of the boy.

Makino, serving little luffy glasses of milk everyday to strengthen his bones.

Luffy, growing up the first few years of his life as a rather sad kid, not allowed to play with other kids, not being able to life a "normal" life or do anything like anyone else, caged in his own body.

Just imagine this little boy, arms and legs padded with soft pads to keep his bones from being broken, sitting behind closed windows, looking outside and desperately wishing to be free to roam the seas like the pirates he always dreams of.

A little boy in his room, not older than 4 or 5 years, silently sobbing at night because he thinks his parents might have just abandoned him due to his desease and gramps is now the only one of his family who cares about him.

There's also Makino who's always covering his arms and legs with the soft pads first before he's allowed to do anything at all, always stopping him from slipping outside, always watching him, always worried.

She takes care of him everytime he manages to escape her, eventually hurting himself. Since his body is very fragile, every trip, every fall after failing to climb up a small tree has severe consequences. Broken bones don't heal fast and even if they do, he has to deal with chronic pain afterwards and then he sits there on his bed, desperate and sad again, his whole body aching, looking outside and dreaming of being as free as he just can imagine.

And then, one day, a mighty ship with a black flag and a dragon head on it's bow comes into the harbour. Shanks arrives at Foosha, meeting with the strange and sad boy named Luffy for the first time in Makinos bar. He's suprised, he sees the pads, his sad and angry face. But instead of treating him as the fragile, disabled kid that everyone else in Foosha sees in him, he treats him like a normal boy, buying him juice instead of milk, telling him stories of pirates and their great adventures, things no one ever did to little Luffy before, because the village people thought, it would hurt him too much.

Ben, Yasopp and Lucky Loo are the same as their captain, they play funny games with the boy everytime they visit the bar - Ben pretending to being shot by Luffys self made "pistols" out of sticks. Yasopp telling stories of his son who happens to be the same age as Luffy and what good friends they would be if they knew each other, causing luffy to start dreaming of having lots of friends some day. Lucky Loo, playing cards with luffy and always losing on purpose, dispite being the best player in the world, so that he can give him some bites of his meat as a reward.

As time passes with the red hair pirates, Luffys dreams grow bigger and bigger, longing for the greatest freedom in the world and admiring the red hair pirates, especially Shanks, who he sees as the father he never had but always wished for so desperately.

But Shanks is not an idiot, he knows exactly that a kid with a body like that could never survive the Grand Line so he always tells him that he can't take him with them on their journey. Luffy is angry, of course, since he fears the day the red hair pirates would leave the village, leaving Luffy behind alone and hopeless once more. He's angry and desperate and sad, he wants to go with them, wants to see the world and feel the most freedom on the oceans! Shanks is strict, he won't take him with him, no matter how much the boy's begging.

So Luffy sits there on the counter of Makinos bar after he had another argument with Shanks again, when suddenly he hears a strange voice in his head. For a moment he thinks, that voice is coming from that wooden box in front of him.

"Hey, boy. Psst, boy! You seem like the saddest lad out here. You wanna be free, huh? Sailing the seas, finding friends, to do anything you can imagin'?

I might be able to help ya..."

[whereistheonepiece]

Yo, I wanted to asked, what do you think of Ga4p ? Because I see a lot of loving him or praising this character and I've never been that invested in him. Because i can't stop myself and think about MarineFord or Baby Luffy alone or Baby Ace alone, and that type of stuff, so what is your position specific matters ?

Lol Garp's a shithead. He's a terrible grandfather/guardian who benefits from the labor of the women in his life because he can't be bothered to actually take care of the children placed in his care, probably because that's "woman's work" and he's a mayun.

This guy wants his grandkids to grow up to be Marines, so does he personally raise them and instill them with a particular set of values? "Nah, too hard. Let's beat the shit out of them and then blackmail an impoverished group of mountain bandits into doing it. This will certainly work out in my favor."

We don't know a whole lot about Luffy's living arrangements before Garp dumps him on Dadan, but as far as I can tell, it certainly looks like Makino did the majority of childcare for him. I recently went back and rewatched the early episode that shows Luffy's time in Foosha village before Shanks lost his arm, and Lu definitely comes across as a neglected child who's hanging out at the local bar because gramps is too busy working. My brother suggested that maybe Garp was helping Makino out under the table, making her yearly tribute to the Celestial Dragons smaller, but it seems perfectly in character for Garp to just take advantage of Makino's kindness and let her provide free babysitting.

Because what happens after he dumps Luffy on Dadan? Makino has to travel to the mountain to give ASL new clothes. She'd only have to do that because Garp himself hadn't taken the initiative. Makino probably had to make that trip multiple times throughout the years as the boys got bigger.

Also I'm inclined to believe that Garp wasn't very involved with Luffy's life before life with Dadan and Ace because the thing Luffy fears most is loneliness. Luffy seems to have had no friends close to his age before Ace and Sabo. He spent his days hanging out with pirates in a bar because gramps can't be bothered to be involved in his life other than to slap him around and have him train to fight monkeys.

And this is all before getting to Marineford. Listen. My position on the Marines is "Fuck the Marines, even the Marines I like on an individual basis" and I do not like Garp. I don't think I have to explain how fucked up it is to willingly sit through your grandson's execution, even if you feel very bad about it boohoo. And before someone accuses me of being unfair to poor Garp, I don't care if Garp has spent his life in service to the Navy. Let's get that out of the way. Some things should be more important.

Garp may love his grandkids, but he has a shit way of showing it. Abuse, neglect, and complicity in their execution are shit ways of showing it. There's a reason why Luffy got nervous when he saw Garp in Water 7. Hell, the bastard hit Luffy because Luffy wasn't appropriately sad enough at saying goodbye. Gee, I wonder why.

[enjomo-arch]

❝  Y'listen  to  my  phone  calls  ?  ❞  His  brow  visibly  twitched.  Now  the  stress  was  getting  to  him  more  and  more.  He  didn't  know  if  he  should  be  angry  at  him  or  if  he  should  do  anything  or  start  screaming,  fall  into  one  of  his  tantrums  when  things  crushed  him  to  the  ground  too  hard.  It  was  hard  to  live  in  such  a  world,  and  despite  what  Ace  was  getting  himself  into,  even  the  profits  weren't  so  high  that  he  could  break  the  bank  and  finally  guarantee  something  more  than  a  cramped  apartment  in  a  remote  neighborhood.  It  wasn't  the  safest  neighborhood  either,  and  many  times  he  had  to  deal  with  neighborhood  thugs  who  wouldn't  give  him  a  break.  He  had  already  managed  to  make  a  name  for  himself  with  the  police  force  because  of  it.

His  hands  curled  into  fists,  arms  trembled  slightly  but  only  a  loud  exhale  passed  his  lips  as  he  threw  himself  down  to  sit  on  the  couch.  He  had  managed  to  hide  his  real  life  from  his  younger  brother  for  quite  a  long  time.  Now  he  felt  like  a  sheep  chased  into  a  corner.  Brown  irises  looked  up,  his  expression  softened  from  frustration  into  a  mildly,  exhausted  frown.  ❝  I'm  workin'  a  lot  so  we  have  anythin'  to  eat  Luffy.  We  both  wanted  to  live  like  adults  on  our  own  but  sometimes  ...  ❞  It's  starting  to  get  difficult.  Lips  rolled  into  a  thin  line.  No,  Ace  was  better  than  this.  Stronger  than  giving  up  their  dream  to  prove  to  Garp  that  they  can  make  it  just  on  their  own.  That  old  geezer  will  see  it  for  himself.

The  mention  of  clothes  definitely  caught  his  focus.  Seeing  how  ineptly  his  younger  brother  stilted  his  new  pants  he  couldn't  help  but  crack  a  small  smile  only  to  roll  his  eyes  shortly  after.  ❝  Are  you  goin'  to  walk  in  sandals  even  in  winter  ?  Of  course  we  need  new  clothes.  you  and  me.  Maybe  at  the  end  of  the  week  I'll  have  some  money  then  I'll  buy  you  shorts  that  don't  look  like  you  lost  a  fight  with  the  neighborhood  dogs.  ❞  Clothes  were  the  least  of  his  worries.  There  were  bills,  a  broken  stove  and  even  their  microwave  didn't  look  like  it  was  working  enough.  Ace  clicked  his  tongue,  giving  up  on  fighting  an  equally  stubborn  brother.  It  would  always  be  a  fight  that  could  go  for  days.  ❝  I'm  doin'  it  to  ...  protect  you  and  help  you  reach  your  dreams.  It's  important  to  me,  no  matter  what  happens  to  me  I  care  about  you,  you  little  idiot.  So  don't  tell  me  what's  important  and  what's  not.  ❞  A  pout  formed  on  the  freckled  cheeks.  So  lame.

Luffy could probably count on one hand the amount of times Ace used that particular tone directed at him not counting when they were much smaller and Ace was still getting used to the idea of Luffy hanging around but he's using it now and he's still not saying even though Luffy asked. It's so frustrating. He asked. Instead of sneaking around behind to figure it out. That should've been enough to show Ace he's not a little kid anymore, that he can handle what's going on and maybe even help!

"But it is my business! You're getting into trouble, I heard you on the phone, but you won't tell me!" He doesn't even care that it sounds bratty, he'll go so far as to cross his arms but there's a line drawn at stomping his foot. He's not a baby anymore, only babies act like that. He's trying to make a point. "You've been grumpy and working a lot and I don't…" Like it. He doesn't say that though. It doesn't quite fit but he doesn't have the right words, they're tangled up in the mess so he lets it drop, chewing at his lower lip as he wracks his brain not for the first time for why Ace is so intent on exhausting himself.

"Is it the clothes?" He's gotten a bit taller the past few months and it left things fitting a little weird. Ace seemed more bothered about it than Luffy was. "I cut the pants, we don't need to get any more. I like them better as shorts anyway. Sneakers are stupid too, I nicked some sandals!" He's capable. He took care of it. The other issues…well, it wasn't like he meant to break the stove but he's pretty sure he can find someone to tell him what's wrong so he can fix it. Ace hadn't even been all that mad, they'd gotten pizza for dinner that night instead and have been using the microwave a lot. "If you won't tell me then it's not important so you don't have to do it."

[frobin]

Hi! Ok, I know it isn't very related to Frobin (except if you decide to mention them in the answer), but I am curious about your opionion on this thing. If the end of One Piece have someone of the Straw Hat crew that can die, who can be? OBVIOUSLY I hope nobody, that this thing doesn't happen, but never say never. There're people who say Luffy to recreate Roger's connection. Someone else Usop (but I miss the reason). Or Jinbe, who has also some problems and enemies from previous experiences?

Hey there anon!

No worries about asking questions. This is a FRobin blog but it's also a One Piece blog so it's fine to ask all kind of questions about One Piece. Even though I wouldn't consider myself much of an *expert* so everything I write is very much influenced by my own impressions.

But you're asking for my opinion anyway so that disclaimer is not necessary in this case. XD

---

Okay, first of all: I'm no fan of death flags. I never see them and when I read about them I feel like people pull them out of nowhere.

So I don't think any of the Strawhats will die before or even while the big end fight. Also it's not like they will reach their goal and then just drop dead (don't forget the dream are very different too but more about that later). Like what kind of life would that be?

Also we can't forget that Oda still believes he is writing this story for 14 year old boys. So, even though death is and will be a theme I don't think he will kill off the main crew.

That would not be very clever story wise and is not how to tell a story about adventure and fulfilling dreams for young boys.

Right now it's very "fashionable" to let characters die for shock value. But the more it's done the more annoying it becomes and less of a shock and Oda won't stoop so low to use this kind of element. Why do I think that?

So far we had three deaths in OP and they all shocked us a lot. But they were also used as motivator for other characters. Whitebeards death was a motivator for a whole new Generation of pirates, as well as his crew to try to save Ace and his little brother. Ace's death was a launch of character development for Luffy, Sabo, Garp and even Sengoku and probably more. Pedros death was a motivator for Carrot and other Minks. (Even the fake death of Pell was a huge motivator for Vivi. Interestingly compared to other deaths his sacrifice did not stop the war, which would have been an adequate impact. So him coming back alive actually makes sense.)

But look how few and far between they are. Of course there was more death but the important ones are kept as those.

Why am I talking about that? Who would benefit from a Strawhats death?

Literally no one. They are all already motivated to go until the end for each other. It's more likely that a death would cause Luffy to just give up, him becoming catatonic again.

Who would Luffy fight for if he even loses one of his crew mates? Or maybe two?

If I were a Marine I would try to make Luffy think that his friends are dead and then catch him but that is beside the point.

But for One Piece, a Strawhat death it would not move the story further. There is no additional motivator needed and that would be the only reason to kill one of the crew.

Killing a Strawhat makes no sense in my opinion.

A death would only make sense after they reached their goal.

So it is possible that we see the Strawhats die but long after the story came to an end, them reaching Laugh Tale (if that is the end). And yes, I think all of them will die of natural causes and/or sickness. Most of them at an old age. I think Luffy, Zoro or Usopp being the firsts because of the trauma their bodies had endured would make most sense.

I hope that answered your question anon... and anyone who does not want to read even more about my nonsense can stop here.

But let me break down why I think that all Strawhats have plot armor against death flags, behind the read-more.

-> It is very important that I think the huge clash with the Blackbeard Pirates, which will be the end fight, will happen right before Laugh Tale. And Laugh Tale is the end-goal and the end of the main story. (I MIGHT BE WRONG!!!)<-

Everyones own story can only end after they reached their goal so let's look why I think that these dreams give the Strawhats Plot Armor.

Luffy: Become the king of the pirates. That means he has to reach Laugh Tale. I often hear that Luffy will die early because of the parallel to Roger. That does not mean he won't reach his 40s or 50s. Even after reaching Laugh Tale Roger lived a bit longer and even had time to "make a child" so, killing off Luffy in the end fight makes no sense. So maybe dying after the fight, on Laugh Tale? That could happen and would be the earliest death of any Strawhat imo.

Zoro: Become the strongest sword fighter. That means he still has to kill Mihawk. I don't think Mihawk will go and look for Zoro. So, Zoro has to survive and then return to Mihawk and have his duel. No sense in killing off Zoro. I am 100% sure that he will survive until then.

Nami: Drawing a world map. For that Nami has to travel the world many times more. After they reached Laugh Tale, Nami has only finished part of her dream. She has to visit all of the Blues, travel the Grand Line and the New world multiple times. Drawing a Map of the world will take a lifetime. Her dream will take the longest to be fulfilled.

Usopp: Become the great warrior of the sea. Now here we have a dream that is not really tangible. Usopp will be a great warrior as soon as he realises that he is one. In my opinion he already managed to become a great warrior. Time and time again he has shown how amazing he is but this is all about his own self image and so hard to grasp. This actually makes Usopp the most likely to have a death flag BUT we can't forget that he still has to return home and tell his stories to Kaya and the Usopp pirates. It's part of a promise that is only secondary but for me it's enough to think Usopp too is safe until he did that.

Sanji: To find the All Blue. Sanji thinks that the All Blue is something physical. We can't know that and if it is physical we can consider that it's maybe a part of the New World near the Red Line where all seas somehow come together. So again, until Sanji found that place he hasn't fulfilled his dream. And since I think that would be BEHIND Laugh Tale, again I think Sanji is safe. Alternatively the All Blue is just a metaphor for something completely different but I can't hink about what.

Chopper: To cure all illness. Here too, this is something that takes time. Chopper is still only at the beginning of his career of being a doctor. Finding a magical cure for every illness that exists is not something that just happens. Logically he would need to talk with many other medical experts and together they might be able to find it. When and how and if that happens is impossible to say but again that would be something that would fit best in the time after reaching Laugh Tale.

Robin: To find the truth of the void century. Right now we figure that she will find that at the end of their travel, on Laugh Tale. Maybe it will happen earlier in case the Strawhats storm the World Government. Either way she will learn the truth. But that will not be the end to her. After learning the truth it's up to Robin to bring it to the world, to write it down, to teach, to make people understand that they can't erase history and that they have to learn from it. Again, that is something that takes time and so, truly fulfilling her dream.

Franky: To travel the world in the ship of his dreams. Again that is a vague dream. But it would mean to at least return to Water Seven, so that Sunny has traveled the world once. But even then it's only been a small part of the world and traveling the world would mean to visit at least every of the seas. So far, Sunny had been in two to four, depending on how much you take the movies into account. But to fulfill Franky's dream he needs to survive a bit longer and so does Sunny.

Brook: To meet Laboon again. This is simple. But for that Brook has to reach the end of the New World and then get over the Red Line again. What he will do after that is hard to tell. But again, the Red Line is behind Laugh Tale and so I'm sure Brook too, has to survive... even though he is already dead YOHOHO!

Jinbe: Equality between merfolk and humans. Again this is something that is no easy feat and will probably take more than one generation. Also it is not only up to him and more to Shirahoshi and the World Government. This dream is about teamwork too, but who could be a better ambassador for the merfolk than him? Losing Jinbe would be a huge backfire for the cause. Jinbe too is safe in my opinion. If you have reached the end of the post, let me tell you again my headcanon about FRobin: After the main adventure Franky and Robin return to Water Seven where Franky helps to turn W7 into a boat and after that is done, they travel to the island where Ohara used to be and there they rebuild the island. More people return and it again becomes a hub for scholars and history.

[supernovaken]

Why I don’t like Vivi - One Piece Discussion | Supernova Ken

Where to begin with this one. I’ll start by saying I don't necessarily dislike Vivi, forgive the clickbait title. But I do find her character - very annoying.

As in, an unhealthy amount of frustration is directed at this very fictional character and there are a few reasons why, but it really all boils down to her representing a character trait that we see in many real life examples (as far as celebrity lives count as real life anyway). Vivi is hella entitled and I can't stand her.

Let me circle back to the things that make Vivi a great pseudo-Straw-Hat. Pseudo because her inherent character traits are also what make her quite unsuitable to sail with the rest of the crew.

What I Liked,

She knows how to take charge in important situations. One thing we need to remember about our fearless leader Monkey D. Luffy is in the beginning his role as Captain was definitely a position he had to mature into before the Usopp and Robin moments at Water 7 kick started his growth from charismatic ‘head of the line’ member of a ragtag bunch to a bonafide reliable chief on the dangerous high seas.

Many times with Luffy we’ve seen him fall short as someone able to be responsible for others, not his fault as he had an upbringing focused on strength and independence while all the loving characters around him like Ace, Sabo and Garp all had themselves a lot more put together than a young Luffy so he only ever had people to look up to rather than a crew to rely on him. In these gaps he’s always been ok with stronger characters taking over the leadership role de facto like Zoro’s directions against Oz in thriller Bark and Nami’s everyday orders on the ship.

Vivi displayed this trait almost adequately (emphasis on almost) when she conveyed the importance of a leader recognising the needs of their crew/followers and putting aside their own pride or personal viewpoints for the sake of those needs. In Drum Kingdom she scolds Luffy for acting impulsively against the townsfolk even though he knew Nami needed their help seeking emergency medical care.

Wonderful kingly trait there no doubt, but here’s my gripe with it. In displaying her kingly wisdom she undermines and belittles the Captain in what was meant to come across as a humbling moment for Luffy. Maybe i’m old fashioned or these many years since the Drum arc have warped the details a little for me but the citizens shot at their ship unprovoked, traumatised or not by the constant pirate assaults their actions just invite more danger to the village if these weren’t our protagonist they were shooting at while also putting the rest of the straw hats at risk, Vivi herself took a bullet in the process, not so noble when you consider if that were an island full of pirates or marines shooting at the crew, a quick curb stomping response would have been highly acceptable.

I’m not advocating beating up civilians so best not to get into the politics of how they should defend themselves, and Luffy was in the wrong for jumping the gun; Vivi however should not have chastised him by calling him a failure as a Captain, it’s natural for any Captain to defend their crew if attacked unduly - her judgement was unnecessary. The best way to show Luffy he’s in the wrong here isn’t to outdo him but to appeal to his emotional side, understanding and respecting the fears of the villagers while assertively acknowledging the needs of his crew.

A second thing i liked about Vivi was her relationship with Koza and how it shaped her morality and love for her people, But even with that she also showed how out of touch she was those same citizens of the Alabasta Kingdom, she wasn’t able to understand their day to day problems and the pain they felt in needing to rebel against the King in the first place. Koza was the perfect character for this as he represented the country's heart in spite of its monarchy. Although Crocodile and the Baroque Works were to blame for the life threatening drought in the regions, Vivi didn’t understand why it was so easy for him to sway the people's belief in the King or the turmoil involved in Kozas' decision to fight. Yes this was part of her character arc which Luffy helped her realise by literally knocking some sense into her, but the whole ordeal was telling of someone who thinks its easy to be a citizen as long as the King is kind and that entitled attitude really grinds my gears. Fortunately her naivety in terms of the strain on the Kingdom was addressed and growth shown when she decided to stay behind and help her country develop into something better for its people.

To sum up, Vivi does have some great qualities with her leadership skills standing above the average person and her strong moral compass that’s based on a foundation of love and empathy for the everyday man. But her naivety, arrogance, disrespectful entitled attitude on top of just being a pain in the ass throughout her arc was enough to have me rooting against her joining the crew as a permanent member. Not sure if i could deal with a longer exposure to a character who, for me, seemed very out of touch with the harsher realities of the world.

[yukipri]

How do you think the ASL brothers would change if it was Ace that was separated and Sabo stayed with Luffy on Dawn Island?

Hey there! I’m so sorry for taking my time with this ask! It’s a really great question and I wanted to take my time thinking about and typing out my answer...and well. It got LONG ^ ^;;;;;

Bc oh man do I think things would change a LOT, but in order to answer this question, let’s first sorta picture the scenario itself. How did Ace end up the one separated?

This could go a number of ways, but here’s one that comes to mind.

~~

The boys are running back from causing mischief in High Town, when Ace overhears some gossip.

Did you hear, the marines are coming! Apparently they found a terrible, terrible criminal, hiding right here in Goa, and they’re coming to get rid of him before the Celestial Dragons arrive!

A terrible criminal?

Oh dear, what terrible crime did they commit?

Well, nothing, apparently, or at least nothing yet.

What do you mean?

They say he’s the son of the most wanted, most terrible man in history. But don’t worry, the marines’ll take care of him before--

Ace feels like the world’s suddenly gone black and white. He feels numb, barely hearing Sabo shouting at him to hurry, barely registers Luffy tugging his hand and looking up at him with worry.

They’ve come for him. He should have known. Gramps may have tried to hide him, but there’s no escaping Gol D. Roger’s infamy.

Ace knows once he would have sneered, said See, Gramps? I knew this would happen. But now, he feels fear.

Ace doesn’t fear death, and will look it in the eye and punch it when it comes for him. But fear grips him now, as he stares blankly into the campfire Sabo’s set up, finally registering that Luffy’s calling his name and still tugging at his arm.

He doesn’t fear death for himself. But when they come for him, to end his life because of his blood, will they spare Sabo and Luffy? Will they spare the brothers of the Pirate King’s son?

Somehow, Ace doubts it.

And so he knows he’s got to go. He’s got to leave now, before they find him, before they find Sabo and Luffy, before they can steal away his family.

An adult Ace, looking back regretfully, would lament the timing of his brash actions. But Ace had never been a thinker, more of a doer, and he couldn’t bear the thought of losing his brothers--even now, he can’t.

And he couldn’t have known back then that the island had had two boys considered the sons of the worst criminals in history.

So he doesn’t blame his younger self for writing a sloppy letter, tucking it under Sabo’s head, and then fleeing into the night to steal a boat that he’d use to leave the island on come daybreak. Running away, leaving his brothers behind, making Sabo vow to continue looking after Luffy like he always had, until one day, the three of them could be reunited once more.

Young Ace doesn’t even know what a Celestial Dragon is. All he knows is that an enormous ship, the likes of which he’d never seen before, is approaching--

And then everything is FIRE, and then, blank.

Dragon and the Revolutionaries had been in the area, but not just to rescue people from the Gray Terminal fire. They had intel, and Dragon had reason to believe that the marines may have found Luffy, and his connection to Dragon. The commander of the Revolutionary Army kept his distance from his son, but he wasn’t going to let the child get slaughtered for his relation to a father he’d never even met.

He’d briefly run into Ace while he was stealing a boat. He hadn’t stopped the child, but had been curious about his raw desperation, his bitterness towards his blood, and his determination to protect his found family.

Dragon is surprised to find the boy in the wreckage of an utterly destroyed sailboat.

The boy is terribly burned, and has no memory of anything, not even his own name--but he is immediately terrified at the suggestion that they return him to the island, shouting that he doesn’t know why, but he can’t go back there, they’ll find Them and kill Them if I go back there, and it’ll all be my fault--!

He decides to let the boy stay. His name is Ace, they think, the name found among his belongings. With the Celestial Dragons come and gone, marine presence on the island also fades, and Dragon concludes that Luffy is safe for the time being. He sends a coded message to Garp to be careful, and then disappears back to Baltigo with his new charge.

After regaining his memories, adult Ace grudgingly admits that while he still wishes it’d never happened, there were some perks to memory loss.

For one, he’d completely forgotten that he was the son of the late Pirate King. He still had a weird fixation towards fathers, but after getting attached to Dragon, and Dragon accepting his protege’s need for a father figure, the desperation fades.

While not the best at studies, Ace is physical strong, and takes to Revolutionary Army training like he was born for it. He masters both Armament and Observation Haki by fourteen, and with his private training sessions with Dragon, is becoming terrifyingly proficient with Conqueror’s Haki as well.

Ace is still learning, but the power he exudes when unleashing Conqueror’s Haki makes Dragon curious (and some of their peers, nervous). He’s only ever heard of one person exhibiting the kind of power Ace seems to have the potential for.

There are also other perks to being a member of the Revolutionary Army. Dragon isn’t the most wanted criminal in history for no reason. The location of the Army headquarters in Baltigo is a tightly kept secret, one that the World Government has desperately been searching for ever since it was built, but to no avail.

Even as the Marines track the rumors of Gol D. Roger’s child, as long as Ace remains in Baltigo, it’s like he vanished into thin air. And should they have discovered Headquarters, the Pirate King’s son would have been the least of their concerns.

And so Ace grows strong, no longer shackled by self-hatred of his blood, but also haunted by nameless whispers that keep him up at night, a sense of foreboding and aching longing that he’s forgetting something vital about himself, something that he both needs to remember, and doesn’t dare to touch.

~~

On Dawn Island, on that fateful day, Sabo wakes up to find a letter written in a child’s familiar sloppy hand. He tries not to panic, knowing that Ace’s long gone, and tries to think rationally on how he should move next. Even with Ace’s clumsy words, Sabo understands what his brother had been trying to say.

They’d discovered Ace’s parentage. Ace felt that he would endanger Sabo and Luffy by staying with them. So Ace left the island early, by himself, entrusting Sabo with their younger brother.

Sabo doesn’t know how he can possibly tell Luffy that Ace left to protect them, and to convince him that they need to stay.

And then Sabo suddenly doesn’t need to, because suddenly there’s shouting below the tree house, and Luffy’s blearily sitting up.

Ace is dead.

~~

Sabo tries to maintain a level headed facade in front of Luffy (even if he cries, screams his lungs out for Ace in private). He needs to support their little brother, now more than ever. Ace is gone. Ace entrusted Sabo with Luffy.

Sabo will not lose Luffy.

~~

~~

What next?

There’s the chance that Sabo would act as Ace did, continuing training and then leaving the island at seventeen as promised.

But what if he didn’t? Seventeen is a number that Sabo chose, because noble-born children become fully fledged nobles at eighteen. But now there are other, more important things at stake now.

Given what happened to Ace, and the possibility of the marines returning, Garp tells Sabo about Luffy’s heritage (he hadn’t told Luffy yet, at Ace’s request, Ace not wanting Luffy to hate himself as Ace did. Garp doubted Luffy would react that way to Dragon, but he lets Ace have this, this attempt at protecting his little brother).

Knowing that Luffy’s the son of a man rapidly growing to be as infamous as the Pirate King kicks Sabo’s overprotective instincts into overdrive.

Sabo will not lose Luffy.

From here out, there’s three possible routes. The first two routes assume that Sabo’s parents never end up coming for him (they forgot about their son for five years, who says they wouldn’t for more).

1) Pirates Route:

Sabo swallows his pride, and agrees to join Luffy’s crew, much to the younger’s delight. The thought of being captain of his own crew now seems pale in comparison to keeping Luffy safe and also keeping his last promise to his lost brother. And so Sabo vows to stay at Luffy’s side as his guardian. They leave the island to become pirates together.

2) Marines Route:

Sabo demands that Garp take him and Luffy to be trained as marines. Sabo feels nothing for disdain for both the marines and World Government, and has every intention of taking Luffy and ditching as soon as they’re safe. But right now they can provide several things that he wants and needs:

1) He feels it’s too dangerous to remain on Dawn Island with potential government eyes on them, and Garp is a relatively secure way of ensuring they can leave. They know too little about the outside world now, and carelessly leaving on a boat and getting blasted like Ace is the last thing they need.

2) He wants training for both himself and Luffy, not just combat, but on how to survive at sea. The marines, at least, should be able to provide plenty of that experience.

3) Sabo doesn’t want to be caught unawares ever again. Ace fled because he’d overheard a rumor. If Sabo had known, perhaps the outcome would have been different. Sabo’s always been the thinker, the planner among the brothers, and he wants information, especially if there’s a chance that the government will make a move on Luffy. Sabo’s goal is to work his way up the ranks until he not only has access, but is in charge of investigations hunting the Revolutionary Army, and more importantly to him, the existence and location of the Commander’s rumored child. As Chief of marine intel, Sabo will be able to control what information goes to the higher ups, and which information needs to be quietly eliminated.

(and if his investigations into the Revolutionary Army leads him to become curious about the powerful fire logia user who is their Chief of Staff...)

3) Royalty Route:

Sabo’s parents find him, shortly after Ace’s “death,” and demand he returns to High Town and his noble heritage. With Ace gone, abandoning Luffy to a life by himself isn’t an option, but neither is letting his little brother be killed. So Sabo decides that he’s got to do what he must. Protect Luffy at all costs.

He strikes a deal with his parents. He’ll return to them, and he’ll be their perfect little noble son, but ONLY with the condition that Luffy comes with them. His parents are unhappy with the deal, but grudgingly agree, warning that if Sabo doesn’t truly impress them, they have no problem with, ah, eliminating both Sabo and his tag along because they have Stelly as a perfectly viable replacement.

Sabo can excel when he puts his mind to it, and although inside he froths with rage and hatred, he will do anything to keep Luffy safe.

Luffy is his one and only saving grace who keeps him sane. Luffy, who is now trapped in this birdcage alongside Sabo, and it’s all Sabo’s fault. He’s called Sabo’s “servant,” despite being incapable of doing chores, and is ignored by the entire household other than Sabo.

And while Luffy’s clearly uncomfortable, he doesn’t complain. He senses Sabo’s pain, and his suffering, and takes it upon himself to soothe his older brother, to keep him company, to love him. Luffy will never leave here, if it means leaving Sabo. Because nothing is more terrible than being alone and Luffy knows that best. 

So Sabo keeps moving forward, vowing to Ace every night that he’s going to protect Luffy, no matter what. If this is the hand that he’s been dealt, Sabo will just have to make do. Sabo wonders how far up the hierarchy he’ll have to climb in order to guarantee Luffy’s safety.

(or, Sabo eventually becomes King of Goa, and Luffy is his “servant.”)

~~

~~

Are just some possibilities I came up with! To anyone who made it to the bottom of this post, thanks for reading!

Do any of the three scenarios I came up with sound interesting? Which is your favorite/do you think is most likely? Should I write a follow up??

EDIT: >> Follow Up

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