It was a quiet day aboard the Going Merry (surprisingly). The crew had just taken down the shichibukai Crocodile and absolutely destroyed his criminal organisation, a.k.a Baroque Works. All in all, they deserved a few days rest.

That and the fact that they were all (sans a certain mosshead who seemed to be devoid of emotion) recovering from two particularly tearful farewells.

Quite conversely to the rest of the crew one captain and swordsman were particularly happy due to their second and first (respectively) bounties being sent out.

Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were sitting on the railing, each with a rod in hand, fishing for food.

Zoro was napping near the railing, undoubtedly keying up for the moment when he would have to dive in after Luffy – and then Chopper after the caring idiot forgot that he was useless in water – to save him from its clutches.

Sanji was smoking languidly n their kitchen, taking a break from his preparations. He had just set some Pike on to soak for a few hours in a marinade of stock made from garlic, water and bay leaves. It was a new recipe on his behalf and he hoped that the conflicting flavours would end up tasting deliceux.

Nami was sitting underneath an umbrella, poring over maps of Alabasta that Vivi had been so kind as to give to her.

And finally, their latest crew member was sitting on a banana lounge with Nami, reading over books she may or may not have stolen from a few of Crocodile's libraries.

It was at that moment that Luffy stood up, looking at an approaching white bird. "Ne, Nami! It's a News Coo!"

He waved frantically at it to come to their ship, unfortunately, this resulted in an impromptu dip into water. "Luffy!" Chopper cried frantically and jumped after the rubber man.

Both devil fruit users sank like the anchors they were.

Without a word, a man with a most peculiar head of moss dove after the two devil fruit users. He resurfaced after a few minutes and effortlessly threw the two hammers on board, he then hit their chests to get all of the water out of their lungs.

After a few hits Luffy sat up and coughed the rest of the water out. "Phew! Thanks Zoro, I thought I was going to die then!" He laughed.

Chopper sat up a moment later and unlike Luffy panicked momentarily before profusely thanking the dripping swordsman. "Idiot! Don't jump in after him, it takes twice as much effort." Zoro reprimanded around his white towel.

"Don't use a white towel shitty swordsman, you'll turn it green!" Sanji cried in outrage.

"Well, if I'll dye it green you'll dye it the colour of stupidity!" Zoro retorted, one hand already reaching for his sword.

They both growled and immediately started fighting.

"What do you mean there's a price increase!?" Nami screeched at the bird, purse in hand.

The bird gave her a look as if to say; 'don't shoot the messenger'. Nami dropped enough berries to cover what a newspaper would have cost before the inflation.

The bird looked indignant and prepared to fight but then decided not to test the orange haired woman's greed, instead, it flew away with a dissatisfied coo.

"Is there anything interesting happening in the world, navigator-san?" Robin asked, smiling at Nami gently.

"Um, well, the front page is dedicated to one of the Revolutionaries latest exploits." Nami said, flicking through the paper.

"Ne, Nami, what are the revolutionaries?" Luffy asked, growing tired of fishing (unsurprisingly).

It was Robin who answered. "They're an organisation that wish to completely overturn the current government that allows people to become slaves at a word from a Tenryuubito, or the power to destroy those who wish to learn knowledge." Robin finished, eyes darkening at her second example.

"Tenryuubito..." Sabo.

"Yes, they helped form the World Governments during the Void century, a moment in time where nothing is known of it." Robin said.

"Oh, there's a new bounty for their chief of staff. "They call him the second in command of the Revolutionaries, second only to Dragon, the most wanted man in the world." Nami commented.

She pulled out a poster of brown paper, on it, the words, 'Wanted Dead or Alive'; "Sabo." Nami said, showing the poster to the crew.

Luffy stood in shock, staring at the face before him, the world seemed to stop for a moment, he was shocked.

For the person in front of him had aged by years but…

Luffy would recognise his brother from anywhere, regardless of his appearance.

"Sabo?" He asked, well, more like whispered, the crew immediately turned to him, taking in his pale complexion and shaking hands.

"Luffy, what's wrong?" Chopper asked innocently, tugging on the rubber man's hand insistently.

Luffy tried, he really did, to not cry but he couldn't help the tears that started to fall down his face. "Robin, can you… can you tell me more about him?" He asked quietly.

The crew sat down and Zoro ended up sitting their captain down gently, propping the boy up against his side so he could lean on him.

Robin smiled and complied, she was a little terrified that by one person the man who had the will to get up and fight after being defeated twice and win on the third (third time's the charm) was crying over a man connected to such a high power. Then again, his brother was a part of the Whitebeard pirates.

"Of course sencho-san, the world government aren't quite sure when he joined seeing as he seemed to appear one day, he was so young and yet he was bossing around half of their people, and Dragon was allowing him to do so. They immediately gave him a bounty of 400 000 000 berries, identifying him as a threat they had to deal with. There was a rumour that he used to be a noble but that was snuffed out fairly quickly.

"But, whenever he was seen, chaos would ensue and eventually he ended up defeating several strongholds. He wears a top hat, the origins of his name, I presume, and apparently is proficient in using a pipe." Robin finished, using a combination of her own knowledge and what the article stated. "Here is a full sized picture, sencho."

She passed the paper to him, open on a full sized shot of a tall, blonde haired man dressed in clothes that seemed to scream 'nobility' and a scar that covered most of his left eye. The other man was wearing a green coat and had a red, tribal style tattoo covering the left half of his face.

That's the man that saved me from Smokey back in Loguetown. Amongst his confused thought process the memory of the night at Loguetown arose, beckoned by the image of the man known as Dragon.

Big, droplets of tears started to blur his vision and wet the photo beneath him. "Why are you crying Luffy?" Chopper asked, feeling like joining his captain in his sorrow, but, he had to be strong for Luffy.

"I'm just… so happy he's alive!" Eventually he gave way and started to openly sob, hugging the paper to his chest.

"Who is he to you?" Sanji asked calmly.

"He's… he's my other brother!" He managed to cry out between hiccups and sobs.

"Your other brother? Then why...?" Usopp left the question hanging, something must have happened.

"We thought he was dead for twelve years! Dogra saw his ship blown up by a Tenryuubito!" But then Luffy gasped as another thought came to him. "Ace doesn't know he's alive! I have to... hic... tell him… hic."

So that's why he seemed to dislike the Tenryuubito… Was the collective thoughts of the crew.

"Unless you know the den den mushi number to Whitebeard himself then I don't think we'll be able to reach him." Nami said.

"I don't care! He can't…"

He can't go on thinking that he's dead!

"My, it seems we're in quite the predicament." Robin murmured, taking a second look at the bounty poster.

"Please Nami, we have to! We have to find Ace!" Luffy cried, shaking the orange haired navigator.

"Oi, oi, Luffy, don't shake Nami-san like that." Sanji said, but his heart wasn't really in it.

"What about the islands under Whitebeard's protection?" Usopp suggested.

"Is Whitebeard really that strong?" Chopper asked.

"He's considered the strongest man alive and is quite possibly as strong as Gol D. Roger." Robin said, "He has several islands that he protects, to attack one would guarantee a visit from him."

"So, all we have to do is attack one of his islands?" Zoro asked quietly, "That sounds easy."

"Yes, well, I'm not certain where the nearest one is, it could be weeks away for all we know."

Eyes flaring in newfound determination, Nami says, "At the next town, at the next town we'll find out where his island is, does anybody object to taking a detour?"

When nobody spoke she continued, "It may take a while to get there, Luffy, but we'll make sure we can find one, alright?"

Nodding, the boy felt warmth bubble in his chest, these were the kind of nakama he'd been looking for.

But, everything was too much.

Sabo was alive!

Ace didn't know.

He had to find Ace.

Pulling the little wriggling paper out of his hat and stared at it intently, Ace had said it would reunite them, but how?

Watching as the little paper wriggled in his hand, as if…

As if it was being pulled on a little piece of paper.

Jumping up he ran into the kitchen and stared intently at it, despite the lack of breeze, it still pulled, in the exact same direction as out there.

"Ne, Robin!" He suddenly cried, surprising the crew by the rate of his actions.

"Yes, sencho-san?" She looked up.

"Do you know about papers that follow people?" He asked, pointing to the little square in his hand.

Frowning, she plucked it out of his grasp, examining it carefully she shook her head, "No, but I can inquire about it at the next town. Can you tell me why this is important?"

"It's because Ace said it would reunite us." He says seriously.

Nodding she hands it back to him, Luffy doesn't put it back inside boshi because he needs some semblance of his brother right now.

Man, Ace was gonna be pissed when he found out that Sabo was still alive.

But, ultimately, he knew that Ace would be overwhelmingly happy to know that his other brother was still alive despite being shot down.

But…

The question that rattled around his head like bad meat, was, why hadn't Sabo tried to contact them?

If he was truly apart of the Revolutionary army, then how was it that he was unable to find either of them?

It didn't matter, he guesses, because Sabo is alive!

Why he is and why he didn't tell them is a mystery.

602 million, that was an awful lot, he suddenly laughed, Ace was gonna be pissed that Sabo had a higher bounty than him.

Ace had what? A 500 million beri bounty? He's pretty sure he heard a few of Crocodile's minions complain about that…

Hiken no Ace, it suits him. Fire can be used to destroy but to also create.

Who knows when he'll meet Sabo, hopefully one day along the sea, but definitely before he's the King, just so that he can kick his ass.

And then… well, they'll be together again won't they? ASL for life! Not even death can destroy their bond.

"Ne, Ivankov, if you're part of the Revolutionaries, does that mean you know Sabo?" Luffy suddenly asks, they're atop the stolen marine warship, enroute to Marineford.

Ivankov twists and squints at mugiwara no Luffy, "Ov course I know darling Sabo. He is second in command ov the revolutionaries."

"How is he? Is he alright?" Luffy suddenly asks, leaping down to Ivankov, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"Vell, I certainly hope so, 'e is our best agent, aside from your father ov course." Ivankov says, "Vy do you vant to know straw boy?"

"Well, he's my brother, Ace and I thought that he was dead, but I saw his bounty sometimes after Alabasta and I knew. We're brothers in everything aside from blood, not that it matters of course." He says, thinking on that day they exchanged sake.

Ivankov is far from tranquil and shouts, "Ehhh?! Sabo is your brother?"

"Mm, we met him in the Goa Kingdom but we saw his ship get shot down by the Tenryūbito." He seethed, hands clenched tightly.

It certainly lined up with where Sabo was found, but, Luffy and Ace weren't nobles of any sort. "Vell, that is certainly a surprise, he doesn't remember anything from when he was young except that he despises nobles."

"He doesn't remember?" That's a relief, it's horrible, but a relief, "His parents were nobles except he hated them, he ran away and that's how I met him, Ace and Sabo actually tried to kill me when they first met me, shishi."

"They tried to kill you?!"

"Yup." He grins widely. "But they saved me in the end and from there we became brothers."

"Vell, I shall tell him that you are looking for him." Ivankov assures the straw-boy.

"The doors to Marineford are in sight, Luffy-kun." Jinbe announces.

And from there, well, you know the story.

All around them, pirates, marines and revolutionaries alike drop like flies amongst the onslaught of both sides.

The pair of brothers punch, burn and kick their way through enemies with a practise ease, except, if you looked closely, you could see that there were times when they were clearly expecting a third to be there.

"Oh! Ace! You won't believe who's wanted poster I saw." Luffy announces, throwing a marine into others, fashioning him into a bowling ball.

"Yeah? Who's?" Ace is bone tired, but even so, he extends his hiken through the marines in front, clearing the path again.

"Sabo's! He's even got a higher bounty than you!" Luffy laughs even as he covers his brother.

"Sabo? He's alive?!" Ace is on autopilot, whirling through the enemies.

"Yup, apparently he was picked up by Dragon and doesn't remember a thing about his past life. He's second in command of the Revolutionaries and worth 602 million beris."

"Holy shit, that's more than me." Ace comments.

"Yeah, it is,"

In their haste to make it out, Ace doesn't hear Akainu's words, doesn't listen to the way he curses his father.

"I'm gonna kick his ass next time I see him." Ace announces, but he's cut off by the red dog of the marines quite quickly dispatching Marco and Vista.

"How quickly you all are to turn your back on your old man." Akainu spits. "But I didn't expect anything less of pirates."

"Don't you dare say that!" Ace snarls.

"No! Ace, we'll handle him, get you and your brother out of here!" Marco shouts, healing despite the magma burns across his body.

Ace hesitates and that's all Luffy needs, "Ace please, come with me and live."

He sighs and turns away from the bastard, and with a flash, Marco and Vista block the attack of Akainu. "You can run! But you'll never be safe! Everyone will want to kill you, especially now that they know!"

Ace already knew that, but he figures, he better look out for Luffy, and if what he says is true… they could be reunited, together again.

"Oi! Mugiwara, Hiken! Over here." A yellow submarine surfaces from the icy depths, from the edge that Aokiji has frozen the sea.

"Torao-guy?" Luffy asks in confusion and Ace takes that he knows him, actually, why does Luffy know so many people of the worst generation?

"Luffy-kun, Ace-kun, I will help hold off Akainu while you two escape," Jinbe says, before leaping away to go help Marco and Vista.

Ace pants, he can see that Luffy is on the verge of a collapse, before he can, he grabs him despite his protests. "Ace… I'm fine."

"Sure you are, let's get out of here." He flies with the power of the mera mera no mi to Trafalgar Law's submarine and drops to the deck.

"Let's get out of here." As soon as they touch the deck, Luffy's head lolls and Law says, "Get him inside, he's gonna need surgery."

The deck clears and they sink into the murky depths. "Take, us to, Kuja kaizoku." Luffy murmurs, softly.

"Boa Hancock?" Ace did see her helping them a lot, and she was the one to warn him of Luffy's escapade. "To the Amazon Lily."

"The island of only women?" Law asks, even as he wheels Luffy over to one of the operating rooms.

"Yeah, she's helped him out a lot, so I presume that's our safest bet."

Two years, to become the strongest, Ace won't lie, he's not sure how strong Luffy will be now, but, that will power… he's only felt something so strong off Shanks, hell even Pops.

So, his brother will be the King of the Pirates.

Anyway, he's at the Sabaody Archipelago, at Grove 41, where Luffy's ship remains, it's new, Ace remembers the lamb ship, but the seas of the Grand Line must have battered it far too much.

He's here to greet his little brother before they part to Fishman island, which, the remaining Whitebeard pirates will probably do as well, Big Mom has taken control of the island, which probably means that they're unwelcome by her officers.

But what the hell, Namur wants to visit his family and Ace wants to check up on the royal family.

To their eternal surprise, when the remaining Whitebeards (two years and they still had yet to assume a new name) arrived at the Grove, the Warlord Bartholomew Kuma was standing watch over the bright ship.

But fortunately for them, the cyborg (how cool was that?! A freaking cyborg!) known as Franky arrived, ready to upgrade the ship.

They watch as Kuma stands down in the presence of a Straw hat.

"Are you Luffy's bro?" Franky, Ace learns, blubbers a lot, and denies it.

"Yeah, you're cyborg Franky. Pleasure to meet you." He grips the massive hand.

To his surprise, the cyborg gets down on hands and knees, and thanks him for protecting their captain when they couldn't. "Seriously, it's no problem! He's my little brother."

"Ahh! How sweet." Franky continues to blubber.

"Ace, what did you do?" Marco asks in amusement, bringing along more supplies, particularly now that Bartholomew Kuma has left.

"Nothing! He won't stop crying."

"Me? Crying? No!" Franky cries through his very manly and cola tears.

The second to arrive at – as Ace learns – the Thousand Sunny is the swordsman, and as soon as he catches sight of Ace, well, he smiles, "So, Luffy's brother, Portgas D. Ace, how come are you with Sunny?"

"Wanted to say hey, seeing as we'll be making the trip down to Fishman island as well."

"Hmph, better not get in our way." He's very deadly, a hell of a lot stronger than what he was the last time Ace saw him, and missing an eye.

"Vista, Flower Sword of the Whitebeard pirates, it would be an honour to duel, if you would have me." Zoro grins, as feral as the wild cats Ace has met in the Goa forest.

"Of course, I'm always happy to duel a youngster such as yourself. Though, you seem quite strong." Vista comments with a grin.

"Oh, well, I've had a good teacher."

The ensuing battle is so violent that Ace would be certain the duo are trying to kill each other if it weren't for the easy grin on Vista's face, and the way Zoro just slightly, holds back.

It ends in a draw and the pair bow before making their way to a bar, "So, what's your dream then?"

"To become the greatest swordsman in the world."

"A fitting goal for one of your stature. Let us drink to success."

"To success." They clink their sake and drink.

Eventually, the remaining straw hats arrive, thanking him profusely for looking after Luffy, but it's the cook that catches Ace's attention.

"You were with Ivankov, weren't you?" Ace laughs a little at the whitening of the cook's face as he shudders.

"Yeah, he said you might ask, all he said to me was, 'He'll arrive when Luffy does'. Cryptic bastard." Sanji says, taking a huff of smoke in.

The relief is staggering, and Marco smirks knowingly, "I wonder if Luffy got lost on his way here."

Ace laughs, it would be his brother to get lost so easily, "Probably, he doesn't know any of the cardinal directions."

Of course, when his brother arrives, he brings half the marines with him, "Ace! You're here! Look who I found!" He shouts in ecstasy, dragging a blonde-haired man along with him.

The air is knocked right out of his lungs, "Ace…"

"The time for reunions is not now!" Izo shouts.

"If you want, you can go with Straw Hat and meet up with us at Fishman island." Marco says.

"Yeah, I think that would be best." Luffy says and drags the pair onto his bright ship, he turns to his crew, ready to obey his every order, and his brothers and smiles, "SET SAIL FOR FISHMAN ISLAND!"

"Yeah!" Is the resounding cheer, and suddenly, the crew is in action, tying things down, raising the sails, it's like a well-oiled machine and Ace is enraptured by it all.

"So… are you mad at me?" Sabo asks sheepishly, siting cross-legged on the grassy floor (only Luffy would have something so childish).

Ace sighs, heavy and old, "I was… but, I figured that it was better that you were alive, Luffy explained that you didn't have your memories."

"Yeah… that's right, I didn't, not really, after Marineford, Ivankov told me what Luffy told him and slowly, bits and pieces came back to me."

"I'm so… so glad you're alive!" And he clings onto the Revolutionary like tomorrow will never come, he's sobbing but he doesn't care.

"I'm glad you are too! Pulling a stunt like that!" Sabo yells, clinging back.

"Shishishi, I knew you two would make up." And their idiot brother hugs them both, rubber arms wrapping around them both a few times.

"So, I have a bigger bounty than you." Sabo says with a cheeky smirk, wiping away his tears.

Ace snorts, "Only by 2 million."

"Sorry, can't hear you over my bigger bounty." Sabo says, putting a hand to his ear mockingly.

Luffy pouts, "I can't believe you both have bigger bounties than me, oh well, I'll beat you both!"

"I'm sure you will, little brother." Sabo knocks his hat off as he ruffles his hair.

"Oh!" And suddenly Luffy races off, dragging the swordsman with him.

The pair exchange a glance before shrugging.

He returns with three cups between him and a bottle of their finest sake in tow, "Does it matter that they're not red?"

"Course not." Sabo says, and sets out the blue cups.

Ace grabs the bottle and pours them each a cup, "Hey." He says with a smirk, "Did you know that if you share sake, you become brothers?"

They grin in nostalgia, "Brothers!" they clink their cups and scull them down.

It doesn't matter what challenges they face, they will overcome them together.

And hell, Luffy's gonna become the King of the Pirates, regardless of what anyone says.

Written for Day 14: mysteries cos it's a motherfucking mystery how neither Ace nor Luffy saw Sabo's poster. and i wanted to write another 'Ace lives!' story.
hope you enjoy