Title: Thicker than Blood

Characters: Luffy, Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, with mentions of Chopper and Usopp

Pairings: Hinted one-sided Nami/Ace, Ace/Sanji, Ace/everyone-except-Luffy-because-that's-just-Ace

Warnings: Spoilers for episode 491ish and beyond. Mostly foreshadowing. If the name Sado confuses you then you shouldn't read. I'll tell you when you're older. Also, Luffy-angst. Because Luffy-angst is like a fart –silent yet deadly. Done because it bothered me that none of the Strawhats cared to know much about Luffy's family.

Setting: Shortly after Ace leaves the Strawhats in Alabasta

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

"So, Luffy," Name cornered her captain as he perched upon his favorite seat of the Going Merry, "Any other brothers you'd like to tell us about?" The navigator put her hands on her hips, playfully determined to get the answers she wanted.

Luffy cocked his head to the side, thinking. "Nada." He said cheerfully, then went back to gazing at the ocean, smiled glued to his head.

Nami opened her mouth to say something more, but a shadow fell over the top of her head and she stopped as Zoro, who she could have could have sworn was fast asleep near her Mikan trees, put a hand on her shoulder.

"Leave it." Zoro advised firmly. There was such a serious look on his face that Nami backed off, preferring to go stand next to Chopper and Usopp instead.

Luffy kept staring at the ocean until Sanji called that dinner was ready.

"Ahh, Sanji!" Luffy laughed cheerfully after he had cleaned his plate. "That was amazing." The rubber boy patted his rounded gut in appreciation of Sanji's Sea-king Stir-fry.

"Glutton." Sanji snorted, but he was smiling behind his after-dinner cigarette.

"Need some help with the dishes?" Nami asked Sanji sweetly. The cook nearly fell over, hearts in his eyes, at the uncharacteristic inquiry.

"Not from you, Nami-swan~. Such a beautiful flower shouldn't dirty her delicate hands." Sanji twirled, hearts vanishing as his left foot caught the back of Zoro's hamaka.

"What now, you perve cook?" Zoro growled, trying to hide a swiped bottle of booze.

"Just for that, you're on dish duty." Sanji snarled back. "Everyone else, out of my kitchen! (Except for you, of course, Nami-swan.)"

"You know, I think I saw a cloud that looked like Ace's fire-fist." Usopp told the intrigued Chopper and Luffy as the three of them retreated from Sanji's wrath.

"So," Sanji started once they were gone and just he, Nami, and a reluctant Zoro were left, "He was really upset, huh."

"What? Who was upset? "Nami asked, although she had a sneaking suspicion she knew who they were talking about.

"Care to tell us what you know?" Sanji asked Zoro.

"You're out of luck, cook. I don't know shit."

"So why wasn't Luffy stealing from your plate tonight?" Sanji countered. "I even gave you a second helping of meat and he didn't touch it."

Zoro shrugged. "If he doesn't want to tell us something he shouldn't have to. Some things in a man's life are private."

"Not when a woman is involved." Nami objected.

"Don't even think about asking him again, you sea witch." Zoro prepared to block Sanji's foot.

"Of, I wasn't." Nami smiled smugly. Her nakama shuddered involuntarily. "If we can't ask Luffy why not ask someone else who would know?"

Both men looked at her blankly.

"Ace?" She half-asked, half-stated. "Ace can tell us about Luffy's family."

"Ace isn't here." Zoro pointed out.

Nami rolled her eyes and reached into Sanji's breast pocket. Sanji went weak at the knees.

"Don't think I didn't see him giving you the eye, Sanji. He left his den-den mushi contact for you." She explained, holding up a small slip of paper with a spade burned into the corner. Sanji went red as Zoro smirked.

"Too bad he's into men." Nami sighed. "I'd tap that."

"Nami-swan!" Sanji sputtered in disbelief and horror. Zoro looked at her approvingly, as if seeing her in a new light.

"Who has the den-den mushi?" Zoro wondered, opening his bottle of booze was Sanji was too busy regaining his composure to try to take it from him.

"Right here." Nami pulled one from under her chair at the table. "You two wash, I'll call Ace." She ordered, dialing.

"No way I'm washing dishes while you talk to Ace."

"Can we possibly wash after?"

"Fine." Nami sighed. The boys settled across from her at the table.

"Hey, Sanji. Guess you found my note." The snail phone greeted, giving the Strawhats Ace's grin.

"Actually, Nami found it." Sanji sniffed. "Thank you for the interest, but I like women."

"Uh-huh." Ace agreed pleasantly, though he didn't sound convinced. "So what'd you call me for if you aren't interested?"

"We have a few questions for you." Nami interceded. Sanji chewed on his tongue, pouting.

The snail looked thoughtfully intrigued. "You wanna know about Luffy, huh."

"Pretty much."

"Listen," Ace sighed, "Luffy is Luffy. That's all there is to him. I can't tell you if he's an idiot or just pretending to be stupid and actually brilliant because I don't know. I've been trying to figure that out for years. Anything else you can ask him."

"Do you have another brother?" Nami asked quickly, hoping Ace wouldn't ignore her like Luffy did.

"…What did Luffy tell you?" Ace asked after a moment of stunned silence.

"He didn't. He wouldn't say anything when I asked, just smiled like a moron."

"You should just let it go." Zoro commented, carefully keeping his hard-stolen alcohol out of Sanji's leg reach.

"It's a touchy subject for Lu." Ace told them. "Sabo was always looking out for Luffy and when he died…I didn't know if the kid would ever snap out of it."

Zoro and Sanji shared a meaningful glance. Nami avoided their eyes. None of them would have though t that Luffy of all people knew about heartbreak like they did.

"I'm so sorry. We didn't know." Nami gushed, guilt weighing down on her.

"You couldn't have." Ace reasoned. "Luffy refuses to talk about it. Won't even say Sabo's name anymore, like if he doesn't acknowledge what happened it won't be true."

"I'm sorry we brought it up for you." Nami apologized again.

"Nah, don't be. Talking about Sabo is a good kind of hurt. Like I'm saying I haven't forgotten and I still care about him." Ace's voice was soft with emotion, and Nami felt tears in her eyes.

"Would you tell us about him?" She asked hesitantly, her cheeks flushing pink.

The den-den mushi smiled. "Not much to tell, but I'll try. Sabo was the peacemaker. See, Luffy and I didn't always get along. I hated him and he wouldn't leave me alone, no matter how much I beat him. But Sabo, after he got over the idea of killing Luffy so he couldn't reveal our secret hide-out in the forest, he loved that kid. Mothered him like nothing else too. It kinda irritated me, see, cos Sabo and I were older and Luffy was still a baby compared to us, but Sabo taught Lu how to fight and be strong."

Ace paused for a moment. "After the…incident though, it was just me and Luffy. I tried my best to treat him like Sabo would have and I think it almost worked, helping him."

The three around the table looked awkwardly at each other. None of them knew what to say.

"So," Ace broke the silence again, "any volunteers to comfort me and distract me from my heart-breaking loss? How 'bout it, Sanji?"

Zoro and Ace both laughed as Sanji glared. Nami discreetly wiped her eyes.

"That offer wasn't just for Sanji, you know," Ace added, flirting. "My baby brother picked a good crew. I'd be happy to have any of you by my side and I'm glad he has you guys."

"We're lucky to have him." Nami responded weakly.

Ace carried on like he hadn't heard her.

"Just promise me one thing. If anything happens to me, promise that you'll be there with him." Ace pleaded.

"We will."

When they heard the news from Marineford Zoro, Sanji, and Nami all thought back to that night with Ace.

Nami felt a storm whirling inside her as she was struck by a force greater than lightening.

Sanji, on Newkama Island, had never felt less like a man.

Zoro vowed to himself he would find Luffy and when he did Dracule Mihawk himself wouldn't be enough to tear him from his captain's side.