Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Finding the Brothers
In the quiet, sea-swept village of
Foosha
, a wild child roamed the hills. He had a scar under his eye, a voice louder than a cannon, and an unshakable dream to become the
King of the Pirates
. His name was
Monkey D. Luffy
, and at
six years old
, he already had the kind of fire in his heart that could set the Grand Line ablaze. However, he wasn’t a pirate yet. Not even close. He lived at
Makino’s bar
, where he spent his days helping out, mostly breaking more than he fixed, and picking fights with the older kids. Garp, his terrifying grandfather, would drop in once in a while to hurl him into the forest, yelling something about making him a “good, strong Marine.” Luffy would always climb back out muddy, bloodied, grinning, and with some new scratches to show off; but lately, something in Luffy’s heart had been...itchy. He wasn’t sure what it was. Just a feeling like the ocean calling from beyond the horizon. The bar was warm, Makino kind, the villagers mostly tolerant, but he felt alone. Like he was waiting for something. Then, one day, while exploring the
Grey Terminal
, he found it.
One late morning there was smoke seen coming from the other side of the mountain. Luffy had followed the smoke trail to the edge of the trash town, the Grey Terminal, chasing rumors of bandits who lived amongst the junk. Climbing a mountain pile of junk, scraps and possibly dead corpses, he came to the top. Peering down he didn’t expect to find two kids, both younger than him, fighting off a group of thugs with sticks.
One was blond and messy, face smudged with soot, his forehead blooding from being hit, but his voice sharp with defiance. The other had freckles and dark hair, and eyes that burned with the fury of a hundred suns.
Luffy didn’t wait. He launched himself into the fight, screaming, “YOU GUYS SUCK AT STICK FIGHTING!” and promptly headbutted the biggest thugs unconscious.
Together, the three of them drove the rest away. Panting and bruised, the blond boy pointed at Luffy. “Who the hell are you?!”
“I’m Luffy,” he said proudly, puffing out his chest. “I’m gonna be King of the Pirates!”
The freckled boy rolled his eyes. “What kind of idiot says that out loud?”
“Your face says it too,” Luffy shot back, shocking the boy. “What’s your name, spitfire?”
The boy bristled. “It’s Ace .” An annoyed look was shot his way.
The blond boy crossed his arms. “ Sabo .” Unbeknownst to them that the strings of fate had just tied them together forever.
“How old are you two?” Luffy asked, quickly taking notice of their wounds, how thin they were and the dark circles under their eyes.
“Four.” Sabo’s quiet voice whispered. The other boy, Ace, looked a bit scared of him now but was trying his best not to be.
Luffy felt anger bubbling in him. Who would abandon two, four year olds? His grandfather’s face came to mind. He shook his head at that thought. “I know somewhere you’ll be safe if you come with me.”
The two children had no choice. They had no food, the mountain lady had kicked them out because they’d been too chaotic. “S-Sure.” Ace reluctantly agreed.
Suddenly the two were scooped up into Luffy’s arms and placed on his back. “Shishishi.” He laughed at their surprised faces. “It’s my old home. I’ll ask ‘Kino if you can come live with us later. For now, you’ll live in the monkey forest.” His little legs raced through the jungle, over ravines and away from the jungle cats that gave chase until they came to a cliff overlooking a small coastal village. “That’s Foosha. My home and soon, yours too.” He looked at the two boys who looked exhausted on his back. “Come on. We’re almost home.”
Home, as it turned out to be, was a small log cabin with a canopy roof that leaked in the loft area. The downstairs had a couch, a wood pot belly stove and an ice box. The second room in the downstairs was a bathroom that had the bare essentials to it; a claw tub and a toilet. The sink was rusty; but worked. “There’s a working well out back.” Luffy told them as the two boys explored their new home.
“The roof needs fixed.” Ace told him as older boy walked towards the corner of the room.
Another shishishi escaped Luffy’s lips. “I know.” He smiled at their surprised two before opening a box in the corner of the room. Inside were tanned hides turned blankets. “These will keep you warm at night.” He pulled one large pelt out and placed it on the couch. The two climb onto it and began to curl up around each other. “I’ll get you some food.” Luffy told them as he walked away from them towards the door. “Sleep. You’re safe here.” He’d barely closed the door when their eyes closed and soft snores began to come from the room.