One Piece- Memories After All

Chapter 6- The Last Letter

In the golden hour of the dawn, the lush greenery was painted in hues of orange and gold. Little Luffy was squatted in front of a brunch with a stick in his hands, two beetles were placed in from of him. With his owlish eyes and a smile, he teased the beetles and said "All right....... who's gonna win?"

In the audience, some cooed at him while others snorted. Straw hats shook their heads "He didn't grow up much", Nami said and the East Blue gang agreed. Chopper excitedly retold the story that once he asked Luffy whether he chose the beetle or One Piece, he said it was a hard choice. Everyone who heard this laughed at Luffy's childishness.

Ace who was relishing the warmth of his once-death brother grimaced at the scene, remembering the hardest moments and the first loss of his life.

The scene changed as Luffy shifted his attention and called "Dogra....", a man of small stature was walking towards him with a sad and shocked expression. Luffy excitedly asked him "You went looking for Ace and Dadan, right? They have both come home" he was waving happily.

Sabo understood what was playing on the screen, he looked at his brother and asked "Ace this is...... after the fire......" Ace looked at him with a defeated expression and no words were needed. Sabo clasped their hands. Whitebeards also wanted to inquire but the scene continues.

"Really, they have? That's great...." he said with difficulty. With a sudden transition, they were in the hut and Ace was shown, his expression was devastated as if he lost everything.

"What happened to you, Ace?" Izo asked, concern lacing his tone. Everyone looked at him. He didn't reply.

"Wh-what?" "Sabo is......" Everyone was shocked. Ace leaped at Dogra, throwing him on the ground "You liar, don't even joke about it"

"What happened?" Some marine asked. Ace remained stiff. Sabo also didn't react he was looking at what he had left behind. Dragon and Garp realize what is happening. Garp looked at Sabo itching to give him a fist of love.

Shanks asked Garp to tell them the context. He sighed and said with sorrow, "There was a fire in the grey terminal...... Ace was stuck in there...... sigh...... just watch...." He couldn't continue but people understood why Luffy was excited that Ace had returned. But they were itching to ask who this Sabo guy was.

"It's not a lie, nor a joke", Dogra replied from Ace's choke hold. "It was so sudden, I barely realized what had happened, I doubt my eyes" Screen showed smoke and a flag with "S and cross". "I wondered if it was just a dream or an illusion," Dogra said.

People who knew Ace subconsciously looked at his tattoo which has the same pirate mark. They were making the connection. The older revolutionaries understand the context of the scene.

"Shut up. Sabo went back to his noble-born parents, there is no way he would sail out at the sea" Ace exclaimed with a frantic expression. Luffy agreed and said with conviction

"That's right, Sabo went home......"

"Why were you so frantic over a noble"? A pirate asked and Ace gave him an insane look. "Sabo is not a noble", he gritted out and Sabo grasped his hand. The pirate shrank back as Ace looked away.

Dogra grabbed Ace's wrist and removed his hold "Outlaws like us know how he must have felt....... We all have places we never want to go back to...." He pushed Ace back and gasped "Do you think he'd go to the sea if he was happy?" Ace was still looking at him with a mad gaze. Dogra finally shouted while tears spilled out.... "Do you think he'd fly a pirate flag and set out on his own?" Everything stilled, only the hollows of the air revibrated in the now-dead house. The curtain flattered with the air creating the whispers of agony.

Everyone was curious to know what was the relation of Ace with Sabo. Who was Sabo? They didn't know the one sitting with him was actually the one talked about. The revolutionaries understood though, Ace and Luffy thought Sabo died and lived with that fact.

Luffy looked with hazy eyes and said Sabo's name. He looked up, tears drained "He really wasn't happy," he said with sobs. Ace clutched his hair and trembled, images of Sabo replayed "Even with my parents, I'm still alone".