"I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused. Do I know you?" I asked, baffled at the strange blonde man that brought me into his arms so randomly, and familiarly. I exchanged glances over the strangers shoulder with the others, slightly weirded out by the situation whilst wondering who this person was. However, my confusion didn't seem to be met with similar reactions, if anything, Robin looked like she was in between wanting to cry and wanting to laugh with joy.
"It's been that long, hasn't it Lana? For you not to remember how I look? How I sound?" His broken questions whispered with deep-rooted pain were beginning to scare me more than anything. Who did this person think they were to approach me with such familiarity, to bring me into their arms so easily?
The others seemed to notice that this conversation, whatever it was, was meant to be done without an audience listening in. They turned away, conversing in quite as they gave the man and I as much privacy as they could within the confines of this tiny cottage. It wasn't like we could step outside for a moment, seeing as we were trying to lay low, especially with the lurking marines.
"Don't you remember? How Luffy, Ace and I would always tease you for your clumsiness? How you were so tiny and frail, that I would be forced to carry you when we went off on our adventures because you would tire so quickly? How Dadan would always be at her wits end when we came back, tailing in dirt, and you would be the only one brave enough to calm her down so we wouldn't be in as much trouble?
Do you remember that day I came to you three, hoping to find a home with you and without hesitation, you walked straight up to me, bringing me into your arm and stated I could stay with you for as long as you were alive? Do you remember me now, Lana?" As the man spoke in chocked whispers, his hand brushing through my dishevelled hair as he held me against him, the hazy memories from so long ago he was so accurately describing were coming back in waves.
The tears, the smiles and... the pain. The realisation left my eyes misting over, my vision blurred as I recalled those precious memories.
The only person that would be able to recall those moments with such accuracy could only be one of three people. Luffy, who was currently knocked out on the bed, Ace, who had passed away 2 years ago, and...
"Sabo?" My voice coming out in a defeated whisper, hoping beyond hope that my imagination wasn't playing sick games on me at who the man before me seemed to be. I pulled away to see the person more clearly, only to meet teary eyed blues looking into my own with deep-rooted fondness, the familiar top hat settled over messy blond locks.
"Hey sweetheart, your Nii-san is finally here" Sabo stated with a wobbly smile, causing my own tears to come flooding down, chocked sobs growing louder as I clutched desperately onto the fully grown man before me, hiding my face into his coat.
His features were familiar to me, only now knowing where I had seen them before, and who they belonged to. He'd changed so much, but this was the boy I had claimed as my older brother at the age of 6, and still to this day.
"H-H-How? I-I saw y-you d-d-die" I could barely say, the lump in my throat preventing me from speaking properly. Everything around me blurred, my surroundings going out of focus as everything became too much to bare. I had barely coped with dealing with his supposed death as a child, forcing myself to show a strong face as comfort to the two brothers that were left behind by the brutality.
Nearly breaking completely when Ace passed away, I had barely come through from the drowning depression that the loss had caused with the reminder that Luffy still needed me, but to find out that Sabo was alive after all this time was too overwhelming.
Feeling my knees give out beneath me, Sabo pulled me even closer, bringing us down to the ground so we could hold onto each other as we sobbed in relief and despair.
I sat there, in my brother's arms, crying my eyes out at the pain that not only his reappearance had caused but the reminder that though I had just found a brother, I had lost one.
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I looked out to the calm ocean that gently swayed, the waves brushing against the ship that belonged to a green-haired pirate named Bartolomeo. It seemed he had whole-heartedly agreed to take what was left of us Straw Hat pirates who had remained on Dressrosa, along with Law, to Zou where the rest of our crew and Law's were.
The encounter between Sabo and I plagued my thoughts, my mind drifting to the conversation we had between ourselves. He had explained how he had survived all those years ago, and where he had been since then.
"It seems like I'll remain in your family's debt for another 1000 years"
That would probably remain to be the only thing I will ever be thankful for from my absent father. His apparent miraculous appearance in the East Blue, which in turn saved Sabo from the burning flames of his ship. I couldn't blame Sabo for his failure to reappear after his death scare, he had explained that he had lost his memories after the incident and had only recovered them after the... situation with Ace.
When Sabo had to leave, claiming that a group he was wary of had appeared on the island and how he still had a mission to complete with the people he had aligned himself with, I couldn't find it in myself to let him go. How could he leave so soon after showing up?
With much convincing on both Robin and Sabo's part, I begrudgingly understood his need to go, though I was in no way happy with the turn of events, which was why I was still pouting about it days after. When Luffy had woken up, refreshed and recovered from his fight with Doflamingo, he had received a good beating for his lack of attention and overall stupidity in not informing me about Sabo when he had known.
The others, including the ruffians Luffy had picked up as subordinates, continued to feast out on deck, celebrating their victory in Dressrosa, though I couldn't see the point in celebrating something, and appreciating the meaning behind such festivities when the majority were piss drunk for most of the celebrations.
"Well you seem like you're enjoying yourself" A voice chuckled from behind, before wrapping their arms around my waist and pulling me towards them. I simply leaned back against them, falling onto their chest as my arms remained stubbornly crossed.
"Immensely, can't you tell?" I looked back at Zoro, still pouting about the events with Sabo. It seemed my angry expression wasn't frightening enough, because the tall swordsman had the audacity to laugh.
"Mhh, it's very obvious" He chuckled, nuzzling his nose against the top of my hair, breathing deeply as a wave of laughter echoed from the rowdy pirates, drawing our attention to the group behind us.
"Despite you drinking enough to drown a whole fleet, I've never actually seen you flat-out drunk. What's your secret?" I asked in mild curiosity, wondering briefly about the fact since I had just spotted him drinking heavily with the others.
"The trick is not to drink enough to get drunk. Just know your limits" He muttered, holding me tighter in his arms when a gentle chilling breeze rolled over us.
"There's been something I've been meaning to ask" I turned in his arms at the statement, so I was facing him and leaning back against the railing of the ship. He leaned further against me, gently pushing me up against the wooden rails as he looked out to the sea.
"Sabo mentioned how you wanted to be a Navy Marine when you were younger. What happened with that?" It took me off guard, the question so unexpected I had to take a moment to comprehend it. It was true, as Sabo and I caught up on everything that had happened to each of us throughout the years, that particular childhood dream was brought up.
"Now had did Garp's favourite granddaughter who dreamed of being a great marine end up as a pirate?"
"Let's just say, it didn't really work out"
I sighed heavily at the prospect that I would have to divulge into that part of my past. I looked down, fiddling with the loose ends of his haramaki, not wanting to make eye contact with Zoro as I explained a little of what happened.
"Just as Luffy had always wanted to become Pirate King, I'd always wanted to be an upstanding marine. I wanted to make Grandpa proud, to see him smile at me thinking he had made a good choice taking me in, and I think in a way, I was hoping I could make up for the fact that my other brothers wanted nothing to do with the Navy.
So I did. I joined when I was 13, leaving the small town Luffy and I had been raised in. Luffy was aware what I was doing, but he didn't really mind that I wanted to become a Marine.
It took a while, but I managed to work my way up, eventually receiving a position where I could make an impact, where I could make important decisions for the public's benefit. But then I found out what was going on behind the scenes, what they failed to show everyone and what they hid from their own comrades. I couldn't stand working for a government that did the things we were charged with to stop, so I left.
The initial plan was for me to retire and maybe sail around for a bit, to meet up with Luffy and Ace before settling back in our hometown. It seemed though that they didn't like that, apparently I knew too much at that point and they saw my leaving as an act of betrayal. After that, some things happened that... I can't bring myself to talk about. Just know that... I managed to finally get away, and I met you guys shortly after" I wasn't sure what I was expecting when began, maybe some scolding words from the man or even looks of disgust to who I had been, but I hadn't expected the fierce hug I was met with.
"I'm glad you could talk to me about it. Don't get me wrong, imagining you as an upstanding citizen is just downright weird," At that, he received a hard whack on the arm, both of us laughing at the defused tension after his comment, "But I want you to know, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Since we've all got your back" I hummed in relief, the weight of it all being lifted at his laid back response. Placing a chaste kiss on his lips, I rested my head against his chest, his deep breaths lulling me into a calm daze.
The noises from the pirates drowned out as I focused on the ocean's waves, their gentle swaying allowing the previous drama escape our minds as we found comfort in each other.
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Sorry for the late update, I just had writer's block. I found it difficult to come up with what I wanted to write but I think I've found my groove again so I should be updating more frequently.
As always, thanks for all the support for both me and my book and hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to comment!