As soon as the inferno came and surrounded the plaza, the flames died down as Ace stepped forward. Hina and Smoker both readied themselves for battle only for the young man to remove his hat and bow before the Straw Hat Pirates.
"It's a pleasure to meet the crew serving under my brother. I am Portgas D. Ace, Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Y-Yeah, we all know who you are…" Clarisse stammered, "B-But wait, how are you and Luffy-?"
"Related? True, we may not be blood family, but I'd die for this rubber-brain just like Pops and the rest of the guys would go to war for me."
"Yep!" Luffy nodded, "We're sworn brothers, have been for years! But what are you doing here, Ace? Your crew is way farther into the Grand Line, right?"
"Yeah, I was actually just heading out when I ran into you. Speaking of which…"
He turned to the pair of captains and his smile took on a roguish glint. "…I think we all will be heading on our way."
"Over my dead body!" Smoker growled, plumes of white snaking down his arms, "You might think you're a big shot, but I'll wipe that smirk off your face!"
"Luffy, I'll meet up with you on your ship. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes."
"Sure! See you soon, Ace!" Luffy dashed off like the wind, the rest of his crew hurrying after him. Hina snarled at them all turning their backs on her, raising her arms to send a wave of shackles after them only to have a fireball the size of her head nearly set her alight.
"Naughty, naughty, little lady," Ace smirked, his finger still aimed like a gun, "Isn't it against some code of yours to hit people from behind?"
Before she could comment, a tidal wave of smoke threatened to swallow Ace whole. The pirate just grinned all the same as he raised his hands, already tipped with fire.
"Heat Haze."
A matching wall of flames roared from his palms, meeting Smoker's attack head-on. The elements swam into each other making a superheated cloud of red and white, wrestling with each in the middle of the plaza as the Marines all balked.
"T-That's the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit…?" Tashigi awed, "I knew other fruits like Captain Smoker's existed but…"
"Focus, Petty Officer!" Hina barked, "Logias may be tricky to deal with, but they are not invincible! Look for a moment of weakness, then strike him down!"
"B-But… What about Chaos…?"
"Forget him for now! This is the bigger threat!"
"'Threat?' I was minding my own business when I find you all bullying my little brother," Ace argued, sounding incredibly level despite still holding back Smoker's attack, "If you ask me, you all should be ashamed picking on someone for no reason…"
"Cocky little brat!" Smoker suddenly dashed to the side, smoke trailing behind as he jet around the flaming onslaught. He let loose a White Fist only for Ace to barely lean out of the way, just as Hina released a pair of shackles from her arms to try and hold the pirate down. Unfortunately for her, the metal just phased right through Ace. The captain winced in pain, feeling the intense heat on the cuffs as if it were her own skin.
"Whoa there!" Ace suddenly turned, raising his arm to block Tashigi's sword. Much to the Marine's horror, Shigure just clanged off his solid arm while he looked down at her.
"H-How…?! You-You were just made of fire!"
"Yeah, and this looks like a really nice sword so I wouldn't to melt it! I'm a pirate, not a monster!"
Before she could object any further, Ace's finger lit the bottom of her jacket on fire. Tashigi panicked and threw it aside, giving the flame-man time to rocket out of town leaving Smoker and Hina grumbling at the humiliation. Not only did the Straw Hats escape, but they had been toyed with like children.
"Let's just omit this from the mission report."
"Hina agrees. Tashigi, let's head back to the ship."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
It didn't take long for the Straw Hats to reach their ships, Ace following soon after just like he promised. He was more surprised by Luffy having two vessels to his name, helping with raising the Mini Melody's anchor so both ships could head into the Yuba River. They worried about the Black Cage Fleet coming after them but the threat of having Fire Fist onboard seemed to ward them off.
Once they were clear of Nanohana, Ace and Luffy sat together on the Merry's deck catching up and trading stories. Luffy had known from a few letters that Ace was working with Whitebeard, but he'd never heard about all the other Division Commanders or that each had one hundred subordinates.
"Wow, a hundred guys?! What are they all doing now?"
"Oh, they all just do their own thing, mostly. The rules are pretty simple, don't mess with the old man and don't be a dick. And if anyone messes with one of us, you mess with all of us."
"Hehe, yeah! I know the feeling! So, what are you doing all the way out here?"
Ace's smile faded in an instant. "I'm on the hunt for a traitor. Someone killed Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander, just to get a Devil Fruit he had on him."
Several of the Straw Hats stopped what they were doing. Seeing what was effectively the Second Mate of an Emperor's crew upset, even if it was Luffy's brother, was enough to make anyone nervous.
Luffy looked just as serious. The whole reason he was here to protect Vivi, after all. "So, who are you after?"
"His name is Marshall D. Teach, though I've heard he goes by Blackbeard now…"
"BLACKBEARD?!" Kinderella dropped the tools she was carrying, marched up to Ace and grabbed ahold of his shoulders, "Where is he?! That bastard killed my whole family, I want to see him roasted alive!"
"Whoa, whoa, hold it!" Ace raised his arms, "I've been following him for weeks now. And trust me, he's far too dangerous for all of you."
The crew looked just a bit offended but they had to remember this was the same man who demolished Drum Island with a crew of four people.
"I understand," Luffy told him, "Being betrayed by someone on your own crew is unforgivable. This is between you and him."
"Heh, glad to hear you say that. Now, if you don't mind me asking…" He pointed to the various women getting back to their business, "…When did you become such a ladies' man?"
Luffy just chuckled. He ended up telling Ace about Nika after winning his match against Garp, and how it was the sun god who pushed him to embrace his feelings for Makino. Then, much to Ace's shock, it was Makino that said it was okay for Luffy to see other women besides her.
The barmaid blushed like mad but admitted the same thing. "Well, it was mostly thanks to Luffy's… stamina being too much for me to handle alone."
"Tch, you lucky bastard! The only women on the Moby Dick are the old man's nurses but they spend all their time trying to keep him away from booze."
"Yeesh, that sounds like a handful," Nami sighed.
"Anyway, glad to see you've really made a name for yourself, shrimp!" Ace laughed.
"Hey! This is my ship! You can't talk to me like that!"
"Oh yeah? Who's gonna stop me?"
"Oi, you two! If you wanna horse around, there's miles of perfectly good desert you can use instead of trashing the ship!" Desire yelled. Indeed, the Sandora River cut through hundreds of miles of arid sands. On either side of the channel were uninhabited desert, perfect for the two of them to tussle in without causing any collateral damage.
Ace and Luffy glanced at each other, a challenging gleam in their eyes, and set down their drinks before leaping off the Going Merry to land on some dunes. The girls just sighed, figuring they had earned a little time to roughhouse after so long apart. Carina yelled that she'd let them know if there was an emergency.
The brothers headed out until the river was a ways in the distance. The pair of ships looked like toys, assuring them that they wouldn't cause any collateral damage. Luffy was stretching his neck while Ace twisted around to stretch his back.
Then, without a word of warning, Luffy Shaved out of the way from a wave of flames that baked the sand. Ace tried over and over again, sending small tsunamis of fire that Luffy dashed around until a rubbery fist shot through the flames and forced Ace to dodge himself.
"You and that stupid book of tricks you got from Garp!"
"Aw, what's the matter? Jealous?"
"Yeah, maybe… Except that I can do THIS!" Ace curled both of his hands into finger guns before releasing a barrage of condensed fire bullets. Now Luffy had to use Paper Arts to weave around the onslaught, pushing his Observation to find the moments where he could inch himself closer.
Once he was about ten feet away, Luffy coated himself in as much Armament as possible before wrapping Ace in a pair of stretchy arms that left him paralyzed. He tried to turn to flames to escape, but Luffy's Haki was stronger than he thought and that distraction proved a problem. It gave Luffy enough time to swing his arms back and slam his brother several feet into a dune headfirst.
A move that would break a normal man's neck simply made Ace roll his shoulders as he stood back up. "Heh, good trick! But you're not the only one with Haki…"
A wave of Conqueror's Haki rushed out, slamming into Luffy. The younger man flinched back, replying with his own Conqueror's Haki that made Ace wince. The sands began to billow and ripple as their wills collided, both brothers pushing themselves forward until they got within reach. The moment their Haki snapped off, their fists slammed into each other again and again.
Luffy had to hand it to Ace, he didn't let the Flame-Flame Fruit and its intangibility weaken his combat skills. The older brother was just as formidable even without his Logia powers, every blow strong enough to send almost anyone else flying.
They were only broken up when Ace all but exploded into flames, making Luffy yelp as he rolled through the sand to put out anything that caught alight on him. When he stopped, he quickly ran ahead with both fists pulled back to pull off a Gum-Gum Bazooka while Ace had flames curling off his hands.
"HEEEEEEEY! STOP TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER AND HEEEEEELP!" Carina yelled across the desert. Both brothers immediately stopped and ran full-speed back towards the Sandora River. They jumped back onto the Going Merry just in time to see five Baroque Works ships all lined up to form a blockade.
"Well, that looks like everybody Crocodile could spare," Custard noted calmly, "The man knows we're here."
"Yeah, and that means he's learned about Mr. 2 ditching him," Mikita smirked, "So, what to do with these guys?"
"What else is there to do?" Luffy noted, "We take care of them. Ace?"
"Don't sweat it, bro. This is your crew, your fight. I'll only step in if someone sneaks up from behind."
"Great! Ladies, ready the cannons! Vivi, any sort of angry wildlife we should watch out for?"
"Hmm, Sandora Dragons are land-bound and there shouldn't be any kung-fu dugongs…"
"You mean like one of them?" Alvida pointed to the side of the river where a little green manatee was laying itself out on a rock, its body covered by a turtle shell save for flippers and a dorsal tail.
"Oh, I guess I'm not as familiar with this area as I thought. Well, as long as we don't disturb it than we should be fine."
"Good to know. Alright, I need five three of hands on the Melody. The rest of you, get ready because we've got company!"
A wave of cannonballs rang out as the Baroque Works ships fired in unison, aiming to sink both the Straw Hats' vessels in one go. Thanks to a mix of Desire's barriers, Luffy's fist, and some curving shots from Ban, the volley was stopped, and the ships were still sailing forward.
Once the ships grew close enough, the Straw Hats all leapt and swung onto the Baroque Works vessels. Despite being outnumbered around fifteen to one, the ladies tore through the Baroque Works goons.
On the far left ship, Nami floated along with Nojiko and Kinderella and landed with the bluenette growing roots as thick as the cannons onboard to throw all of the mortars overboard. With that, the navigator summoned a swirl of clouds that shoved the mercs aside with several getting zapped with lightning for their trouble.
Before one could take aim at Nami, he heard the sound of glass shattering and saw Kinderella's fist lodged in his gut before her hand cracked and shattered into pieces. He was about to laugh until her new jagged arm stabbed into his stomach like a broken bottle. Several others tried but the almost Drum royalty ran behind them with the shards flying after her, lodging themselves into any goon in the way.
The center left ship was currently being boarded by Honey Queen, Desire and Carmen. The three East Blue natives proved more than a match for the hardened criminals of the Grand Line between their barriers, waves of syrup and razor-taloned kicks that sent half of the crew scurrying into the river to escape. When they headed below deck, they happened to find an impressive store of gunpowder which they piled onto the deck.
On the center ship, the most well-manned with almost fifty grunts aboard, Kuina and Reiju proved to be a dynamic duo. The swordswoman moved like lightning, cutting down anyone stupid enough to raise a blade against her. With her Observation tuned so finely, she could even slice bullets out of the air. And those same gunners would then have to deal with an enraged lion-woman pouncing on them with enough mastery of Iron Body that she could shrug off anything shy of a point-blank cannon shot.
On the center right was Clarisse, Mikita and Custard taking some much needed payback on the organization that once held their lives in the balance. The kilo-woman used her power to float atop the mast before maxing out her weight and cracking the main sail in half. Now stuck in place, they had nowhere to go as the Charlotte of the group regurgitated a giant watermelon after several seconds of effort. Thanks to Clarisse bulldozing any who tried to get near her, she dropped the massive, blinking fruit just behind the ship so the rudder of it and several other ships would be blown apart.
That left the far right ship to be handled by Ban, Makino and Carina. The bartender and burglar handled those up close with shotgun blasts and bursts of volume that sent many into the Sandora River. Those that tried to flank them had to worry about the Fraunch queen sending a bullet directly into their knees or backs.
Alvida watched all of this from the Mini Melody along with Sally and Moodie, both blondes taking the chance to infiltrate the ships once they were cleared out to pilfer any loot onboard. As each one was cleaned out, the girls leapt down onto the little heart-shaped boat with their goodies in hand.
"Oh, Ace? A little help getting these out of our way?" Carina called, pointing to the center left ship. The Whitebeard just nodded before pointing at the stash of gunpowder and letting a fireball fly. By the time the Straw Hat Pirates reassembled on the Going Merry, the Baroque Works ships were all caught in the massive explosion and sinking beneath the Sandora River.
Just before they could continue on, however, they turned to see several Marine ships following them up the river. They couldn't see Hina or Smoker's boats among the three now blocking their route back to see, but it was only a small comfort.
"Want me to take care of them, too?" Ace offered.
"Hmm…" Luffy thought about that for a moment until the lead Nay ship fired a cannonball right at the Merry's aft. With no time to waste, the captain rushed ahead and used a Gum-Gum Whip to block the shot. The cannonball crashed into the riverbank and sent that same resting Kung-Fu Dugong tumbling into the water.
"Sorry!" Luffy called out, "Blame those jerks in the green ships!"
The Straw Hats all watched as the little shelled manatee bellowed something before hundreds of dugongs all swam up to the Marine ships and started attacking en masse. The sailors onboard all screamed and panicked as a fleet of dugongs punched and flailed like master martial artists until their boats cracked apart from the assault.
"Well, that takes care of that!" Alvida chuckled, "Now then, how much farther until the end of the river?"
"Oh, we should be able to go for a few more hours until we reach the river's end. From there, it should only be about a few days' journey to the Rebel Army in Yuba."
"No offense, Your Highness, but what makes you so certain you'll be able to convince them to stand down?" Ace asked, "From what Luffy said, the whole thing started once your father was blamed for using Dance Powder to cause the droughts."
"Right, but that's because Crocodile has expertly covered his tracks and framed himself as the hero of this whole conflict. If I can tell Koza the truth and how he's being manipulated, then I can stop this without anybody dying!"
Ace shot his brother a subtle, confused look. Luffy could only shrug as he went about his business along with the crew. Once they stored all of the new booty below deck, they continued down the river as far as they could. The usual peaceful atmosphere of the Straw Hats soon came, with Vivi being happy to answer any questions they had about the geography or culture of Alabasta.
It was then that Mikita noticed a large plume of smoke coming from what appeared to be a deserted town in the distance.
"That's Nephthys… Or rather it was," Vivi explained, "It was one of the first towns abandoned thanks to the droughts. Crocodile has also been using his Devil Fruit to pelt any suffering towns with sandstorms to further drive them out."
"Well, it looks like somebody over there is still holding out…" Custard noted, "Plus, look at the size of that smoke. It's far too thick to just be someone's campfire."
"You mean it might be a signal flare?" Kuina asked, "And the town looks long gone so someone would either be waiting for months or…"
"…Waiting for us specifically," Nami realized, "But who could that be? Baroque Works wouldn't tip us off, and the Marines aren't following us on land because it would be a massive slog to get enough men through the desert."
Figuring there was only one way to get to the bottom of this mystery, Luffy took a running leap off the boat and bolted towards Nephthys. He trusted Carina to call him in case something happened. The real surprise was when he turned and saw Ace literally jetting behind him, flames trailing from his feet.
"What? You think you get to have all the fun?" his older brother taunted, pushing Luffy to run faster.
By the time the duo arrived in the ghost town, they could clearly see that this place had been abandoned for months now. Every building was stripped bare and half-buried by piles of sand, sometimes to the point of covering up the lower doors and windows. And in the center of town was a large pile of barrels that were blazing away, clearly thrown together to make a bonfire.
"Alright, we're here!" Ace called out, "You made a big scene, now come on out and we'll talk."
"Sorry about that, had to find some way to attract your attention from the river and a flare might attract the Marines…"
The brothers turned to see a woman in bright pink ruffled shirt, black pants, a maroon hat with goggles perched on top and orange hair comparable to Nami's underneath.
"…But may ask what you're doing here? I was told to only bring Monkey D. Luffy."
"This is my brother. Anything you say to me, you can say to him."
"Fair enough. Follow me, my partner is the one who wanted to meet you."
The redhead led the brothers past several dilapidated houses and shops until they reached one much grander than all the others. While its paint was faded and the stucco was chipped in places, it had clearly been cleaned out and made usable given how the woman had to fish a key from under her hat to open the front door.
Before the two went any further, their new guide turned to them. "Alright, before we go in, what goes on in this room is on a need-to-know basis. Sharing it with your respective crews is one thing, but do not blurt it out in public, especially if there are any Marines in the vicinity."
Luffy and Ace nodded. It wasn't too far from how they usually operated, after all. They were soon led into the house, then up to the uppermost of its four floors. They noticed several of the rooms were still filled with dust-covered furniture and discarded tchotchkes from whoever lived here before.
It was only when they got to the top floor they found a small living space set up with two bedrolls and foodstuffs scattered about in rooms they passed until they reached a pair of double doors at the end of the hall. Their guide proceeded to knock on the door several times before stepping back to let herself in.
"Koala, what is it?" a voice said from the other side, "Is Luffy not cooperating?"
"No, Sabo, it's-"
Whatever else she said was lost as Luffy and Ace glanced at each other. They hadn't heard that name in ages.
"Very well, let them both in. It's not like Whitebeard would have any reason to interfere with us."
The doors opened and the pirates were stunned by the sight of the man sitting behind the desk. Thought around Ace's height and dressed in a black petticoat over a blue shirt and jeans, that wasn't what either of them noticed. It was the short blonde hair, the worn top hat with goggles sitting on the floppy brim, and the rebellious look in his eyes that made them freeze.
"Well now, I must admit I'm surprised to have a Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates here but your captain and my leader would get along well. Now, er, what are you two staring at?"
Luffy shakily stepped forward, his eyes as wide as they could be. "S-Sabo? Is it really you?"
"Um, yes, I'm Sabo but-HEY!" The blonde couldn't get another word out before Luffy wrapped him in a hug strong enough to shatter most people's bones. Koala was ready to jump in until she noticed Ace was covering his eyes with his hat, clearly trying not to break down himself.
"Sabo? Do you know these two?"
"Know us?! Sabo, it's me! Luffy! Your brother!"
"What?! I don't have a brother! Now get off of me!"
Before Luffy could protest, Ace placed a hand on his shoulder and forced just heat out to make him flinch so Sabo could wriggle free.
"What the hell, Ace?! Sabo is alive after all this time! What's the matter with you?!"
"Luffy, look at him. I mean, really look into his eyes." The younger brother did just that and noticed how confused his other sibling was. Instead of lighting up at the thought of seeing them again, Sabo was just baffled at the whole thing.
"Okay then, if we can move on from that, let's get down to business. I am Sabo, Chief of Staff for the Revolutionary Army and second in command under Dragon. We've been monitoring the brewing civil unrest here, and tied the issue down a group called Baroque Works."
Since Luffy was simply standing there, clearly distraught at how his own brother didn't recognize him, Ace spoke for him. "We're already aware of that. Princess Vivi has learned the truth herself after infiltrating their ranks and now plans to expose Crocodile as the mastermind."
"Ah, yes, you've already done a great deal of good saving her from being assassinated and even recruiting three of their agents to your cause."
"Just how long have you been tailing Luffy's crew, exactly?"
Koala simply reached into a folder kept within one of the drawers of Sabo's desk and revealed several black and white photos taken via Cameko Transponder Snail. The three showed Luffy's crew fighting a wave of bounty hunters on Whiskey Peak, including the still antagonistic Custard and Clarisse, then Luffy walking around Kyuka Island with Ban Dedessinee, and finally the CP3 agents arresting Wapol on Drum Island with the Straw Hats in the background.
"Gotta say, good job getting that fat bastard of a king taken away!" the girl cheered, "That bastard was a cancer to his island! The Army was about to move in and depose him until…"
"Blackbeard? Oh, trust me, I'm fully aware of that." The subtle danger in Ace's voice made even Luffy and Sabo blink before getting back on topic.
"Well, as you could both imagine, the World Government is not going to be happy learning one of their own precious privateers is acting of his own accord trying to usurp control of a sovereign nation right from under their noses."
"Actually, he's planning something worse…" Ace cut in, "I don't fully grasp it myself, but have either of you heard of Pluton?"
Sabo gripped the brim of his hat. "The term has come up before. Last we checked, it's location is unknown. You're telling me Crocodile has the means to get it?"
"It's the entire reason behind his plan," Luffy finally spoke up, "His second-in-command, Nico Robin, is the only one in the world who can read the Poneglyphs that tell of its location."
"Wait, 'Devil Child' Nico Robin?" Koala asked, "I thought she was wanted for blowing up Marine battleships."
"That's just what they want you to think," Sabo said sadly, "When we get back, I'll show you the file on the Ohara incident. For now, though, this intel on Crocodile's plan brings a new set of issues. If he gets his hands on a weapon of that caliber, he's a threat far beyond the borders of Alabasta. I'll need to report this immediately and reconsider our plan going forward. Thank you for bringing it to my attention."
AS he got up to use the same Transponder Snail they saw earlier, Koala closed the doors behind him and stared at the two pirates. "Were you serious before? Sabo is actually your brother?"
"Not by blood, but by bond," Ace clarified, "The three of us did everything back together, until he was shot down in a boat by a World Noble."
"That's it! That must have messed with his memory!" Luffy realized.
"Actually, that would match up with what little he's told me about his past…" the girl added, "I once asked where he was from and he couldn't answer. Just that he only knew his name from the lining of his hat."
"Well, as thrilled as I am that he's alive, I can't stand seeing him like this," Ace slumped, "And I don't feel like picking on the second in command of the Revolutionary Army, so another bonk to the head is out of the question."
"Hmm… Hey, Koala… Do you have any sake?"
"Huh? Um, sure, it's nothing fancy though. Why do you ask?" Luffy then whispered something in her ear that made her smile and head off to grab the bottle. When Sabo returned, he didn't notice her absence as he sat back down.
"Alright, Dragon also sends his thanks for the update about Pluton. Luffy, what do you plan on doing about the Warlord?"
"I plan on beating his ass and making him sorry for everything he did to Vivi. I know that fighting a Warlord will raise my bounty."
"Substantially. The higherups will definitely cover up anything that will paint themselves in a bad light, and most likely hand the real credit to the nearest officer with a promotion and public accolades in the World Economy News. If you're prepared for that, then the Army will hang back and help clean up the aftermath."
"Much appreciated," Ace nodded, "I'll be moseying on out soon enough. I just happened to bump into my little brother here on my way to find Blackbeard. This rubber-brain oughta be more than enough to put that sandy croc down for the count."
"And since this is sort of an alliance…" Luffy said just as Koala walked back in with a bottle and three glasses, "…Why not make it official?"
Sabo quirked an eyebrow as his partner in crime poured the clear-colored cheap liquor into the paper cups. Luffy and Ace each took their serving and held their cups next to each other.
"To our future success… And to the brother I've always been grateful to," Ace said with the tiniest sob, "The first ones to accept me for who I am, and not judge the sins of father."
"To my brothers, who I've never stopped thinking of after all these years," Luffy choked out, "And who looked after a little shrimp like me until I was strong enough to chase after my dreams."
Sabo was about to pick up his cup when a vivid image flashed before his eyes. The same ceremony from now, but in a sun-dappled forest. And clicking paper cups were the same two men in front of him as rambunctious young boys with grins a mile wide.
"From now on this makes us… BROTHERS!"
The young Revolutionary felt all the wind leave his lungs as years of repressed memories rushed all at once. Koala rushed to his side but a raised hand kept her at bay.
"It's alright… I just…" He then raised his glass to the other two, a look of pure brotherly love in his eyes, "I cannot thank whatever god enough… That let me see you two again, even if it's only for one more day."
As Luffy and Ace clinked their cups and shouted "Kansai!", the waterworks began to flow as they downed their drinks. The booze burned their throats and promised a brutal hangover tomorrow if they dared drink much more but that didn't faze them. Sabo was too busy squeezing the life out of his brothers.
Koala decided to give them some privacy as the three caught up and shared stories. Between a higher-up in an Emperor's crew, the second-in-command of the world's most infamous freedom fighters, and the most wanted up-and-coming buccaneer in the East Blue, it took Koala coming back with a personal memo from Dragon to break up their reunion.
"Well, it looks like I have to move out," Sabo said, "With Crocodile going after Pluton, the boss says we need to lay low in Alubarna. I guess we'll be seeing each other soon, eh, Luffy?"
"Hehehe, you bet! Hey Ace, you still coming?"
"Actually, I think it's about time I head off. I need to get back on Blackbeard's trail."
"About that… What if I looked into this?"
Ace quirked an eyebrow. "What, you saying you don't trust me?"
"No, and you damn well know that. I'm saying that this Blackbeard, despite all the trouble he's caused, has no bounty. As far as the Marines are concerned, he's a nonentity. But if he keeps up what he's done on Drum, then he'll pose an enormous threat to countless lives. Say what you will about Bib Mom or Kaido but everyone knows about them and where to stay away from."
Sabo stood and raised his hands at his brother's expected rebuttal. "Yes, I know, to kill one of your own is unforgiveable and I'm sure you consider this deeply personal. But you're just one guy, probably relying on your own tracking skills and Haki. I, on the other hand, have my hands in a lot of pies and know people with their hands in dozens more. We can keep much closer tabs on Marshall, and let you know the best moment to swoop in and handle your business."
Ace seemed to pause at that, weighing the opportunity against his own pride before he felt Luffy walk next to him.
"There's a reason I pick who I do for my crew. I can't use swords, read maps, cook or steer a ship. That's why I trust my friends."
"Oh? And the fact that they're all very conventionally attractive women has nothing to do with it?" Ace smirked.
Sabo's smirk was just as big. "I wasn't going to pry, but I was wondering when you became such a horndog…"
"I like sex, okay?! Just because you two are jealous doesn't mean you've got to be assholes!"
"Oh, shut up! You think you're a big shot just because you get all the action?!"
"Some of us have important work to do, you damn shrimp! If I had time to go around picking up women, I'd-!"
"A-hem!"
All three turned a very blushing Koala whose glare made them all clam up on the spot. Back on topic, Ace agreed to not rush off and let the situation in Alabasta die down before resuming his chase. Sabo, meanwhile, handed Luffy a Transponder Snail number to use if he ever needed to get in contact with him.
With that, Luffy ran from Nephthys and up the side of the Sandora River until he found his ships still happily sailing along. It was only when he got back on the Going Merry that he couldn't hold his joy in any longer.
"SABO IS ALIVE!"
"You're other brother?!" Sally remembered, "Luffy, that's incredible!"
"Yeah, and he's working for my dad in the Revolutionary Army!"
"HE'S WHAT?!" Several of the newer members cried.
"Oh yeah, it turns out Dragon is my father!"
"HUUUUUUUUUH?!"
"Alright, everyone to the table! It looks like we have a LOT to discuss at dinner…" Reiju sighed before ushering everyone inside. For once, Luffy actually split his focus away from his food as he recounted meeting his lost brother, restoring his memory and how Ace would hang back in Alabasta long enough to see Crocodile's fall.
"Luffy, that's terrific to hear you still have both of your siblings," Nojiko said, "I can't imagine what I'd do if I ever lost Nami."
"And having the Revolutionary Army involved in the aftermath could make things easier," Vivi added, "There'll no doubt be some fallout in case Baroque Works tries anything and the Marines will be too busy bringing Crocodile to Impel Down for his crimes."
"But damn, I can't believe Blackbeard was actually here at one point," Kinderella grimaced, "What does that bastard want? He's already got fucking Fire Fist Ace on his tail, and it's only thanks to Wapol being a shithole coward that the Navy isn't hot on him too."
"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Kuina said, "But that can wait until after Baroque Works is stopped. It won't mean a thing if that psycho gets his hands on that weapon."
"Right. From now, we'll be able to dock at noon and then it's only a day's trek to Yuba without interruption. The only dangers would be the wildlife but I'm confident even a Sandora Dragon wouldn't pose a threat to you all!"
With that vote of confidence from Vivi, Luffy retired to his quarters with a smile… And four ladies following behind. The playful jabs his brothers made may have gotten him a little riled up…
Ta-dah! Sabo is in town, and his memories are back thanks to the power of friendship! Sometimes, anime tropes are just beautiful when done right. Next time, it's a hike through the desert. Trust me, it'll be more exciting than that sentence.
Thank you all so much for reading! Feel free to leave a review along with any questions or comments.
The Straw Hat Pirates:
"Chaos" Monkey D. Luffy
Wanted for: 75,000,000
Captain
DF: Human-Human Fruit - Model: Nika (Publicly known as the Gum-Gum Fruit)
"Buckshot" Makino
Wanted for: 25,000,000
First Mate/Bartender
DF: Burst-Burst Fruit
"Steel Tide" Shimotsuki Kuina
Wanted for: 50,000,000
First Swordswoman
DF: Wait-Wait Fruit
"Meteorologist" Nami
Wanted for: 33,000,000
Navigator
DF: Nimbus-Nimbus Fruit
"Shrieking" Carina
Wanted for: 29,000,000
Treasurer
DF: Volume-Volume Fruit
"Sparkling" Kaya
Wanted for: 8,000,000
Nurse
DF: Gem-Gem Fruit
"Frigid" Moodie
Wanted for: 20,000,000
Deckhand/Seamstress
DF: Chill-Chill Fruit
"Hive Mind" Sally Isntoinette
Wanted for: 18,000,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
Deckhand
DF: Hive-Hive Fruit
"Pride Queen" Reiju
Wanted for: 45,000,000
Head Chef
DF: Cat-Cat Fruit - Model: Lion
"Bonnet Blue" Nojiko
Wanted for: 14,000,000
Groundskeeper
DF: Grow-Grow Fruit
"Iron Mace" Alvida
Wanted for: 25,000,000
Helmswoman
DF: Smooth-Smooth Fruit
"Wildfire" Carmen
Wanted for: 9,000,000
Sous Chef
DF: Bird-Bird Fruit - Model: Peacock
"Enforcer" Desire
Wanted for: 20,000,000
Street Hustler/Fighter
DF: Barrier-Barrier Fruit
"Heartless" Honey Queen
Wanted for: 12,000,000
Janitor
DF: Syrup-Syrup Fruit
"Stampeding" Clarisse
Wanted for: 23,000,000
Bodyguard/Fighter
DF: Rhino-Rhino Fruit
"Graviton" Mikita
Wanted for: 30,000,000
Patissier
DF: Kilo-Kilo Fruit
"Harvester" Charlotte Custard
Wanted for: 36,000,000
Second Swordsman
DF: Harvest-Harvest Fruit
"Royal Rounds" Ban Dedessinee
Wanted for: 17,500,000 (ONLY ALIVE)
Gunner
DF: Curve-Curve Fruit
Kinderella
Wanted for: N/A
Handywoman
DF: Shard-Shard Fruit
Total Bounty: 489,500,000-