"Awwww!Come on guys! Aren't I apart of the pirate crew yet?" Luffy said while drooling uncontrollably.
Ace and Sabo looked at each other while gulping down the last of the lion-fish Luffy had caught.
"No Luffy, not yet,"Ace said while patting his brother on his back sympathetically "you have to do one last thing before we officially accept you into the 'Ace and Sabo's pirate crew!" he said with a wide grin.
"I don't know what Ace is talking about Luffy," Sabo said raising to his feet "but I know what you can do to get into the SABO and Ace's pirate crew!"
Sabo climbed on top of a large rock that Luffy, Ace and himself were leaning against. He unnecessarily cleared his throat and said in a voice that made Luffy and Ace look at each other
"You...," Sabo tapped his bottom lip with his index finger and when he didn't continue Ace shouted
"What ya stalling for?! on with it WOULD YAH!"
"Hey Luffy! What's ya last name again?"
"Monkey"
"Oh yeah," once again he cleared his throat but this time while dogging a stone Ace had thrown. "We are gathered here today"
"I'm gonna catch another lion-fish!" Ace shouted as he walked off.
"OK, OK, OK!jeesh! I tell you about people with no pizazz z! Luffy the last thing you need to do to get into the Ace, wait, wait, I mean Saba, I mean... You know what forget it! The last thing you need to do the get into the 'Gramps Is Always Trying To Kill Us' pirate crew is...," a bright smile appeared on Sabo's face "take five berris from-the man himself- Gramps's wallet!"
Luffy's bottom jaw hit the ground with a thud.
"S-t-t-t-t-eal from Gramps?!" Luffy said on the brink of crying!
"Sabo that's unheard of! He threw us into the jungle one night cause we were breathing too hard when he was talking to us!" Ace said with a terrified look on his face.
Sabo thought about it then said finally
"Luffy... we'll do it together! We're brothers and cause we made a pack that we never turn our backs on what we have said we'll just have to do it with you!" he jumped down of the large rock a spat in his palm then outstretched it . Ace did the same and Luffy glad for the help off his brothers spat up more than too much and did the same. They nodded simultaneously and went off to plan their hair brained scheme.
Gramps arrived at exactly nine p.m. the next day. Ace, Sabo and Luffy went through their usually routine when Gramps came; greeting him with salutes, giving their report of their fort night, having a very on edge dinner and much to Sabo, Ace and the whole cabin's dismay Luffy said-as usual- that he was going to become the Pirate King and pissed Gramps off, so everyone got some of the Iron Fist's flaring anger!
Once Gramps had tired himself out and went to bed, Luffy, Ace and Sabo crawled into his room, sweat dripped from their brows and their hearts thumped in their ears. Sabo was the first up. He eased the fishing rod from out off the old closet. As he was shutting it back it made a screech that resemble finger nails on a chalkboard. Everyone froze and directed their gazes to Gramps. He didn't move a muscle, he just sat there disturbing anyone in a two mile radius with his snore. They all knew Gramps was a deep sleeper but this was just unbelievable and that was exactly what Ace said.
"Geez! Not even a heard of Sea Kings could wake him up! What is he doing, hibernating?!"
Ace was up next. He gently eased a long stick from the window that was right next to Gramps's face. He tried as hard as he could to stop his hands from trembling. After heart stopping seconds the stick was inside. He positioned it so that is was holding the tip of the rod. Finally Luffy was up. Sabo and Ace hooked his shirt tail onto the hook and elevated him above Gramps. The lowered him slowly and shakily until he was directly over Gramps's pocket.
" Luffy!," Ace said quietly "sling your arm towards Gramps pocket CAREFULLY and get the wallet. Take out five berris and we'll lower you to put it back."
Luffy gulped and slung his arm to the wallet sticking out of Gramps pocket. He grabbed it successfully and threw it down to Ace. Ace looking from the large man in the chair to the wallet slowly took out five berris and threw it back to Luffy. Sabo lowered Luffy towards the target and Luffy ready to get things over with jabbed the wallet back into the pocket not noticing the red eyes peering at him in the dark.
They put back everything the way they found it and eased out the door. They were covered in sweat and dust as they snickered behind the large rock behind the house.
"I can't believe we did that!" Ace said breathlessly.
"Believe it my dear friend! believe it!" Sabo said with a wide smile.
"If Gramps found he would be pissed!" Luffy said with a grin.
"You really thinks so Luffy?"
"Sabo you still going on with those voices again?" Ace said now smiling.
"I thought i-i-t-t-t was you!" Sabo said trembling.
All three looked up to see Gramps loaming over them.
"You three thought that I didn't notice you from you came into the room? They don't just give out vice-admiral positions like that you know!," he cracked his knuckles and his neck "they say a bear after hibernation is the most dangerous!"
Screams could be heard through the whole night and early morning.
"Well boys I'll be seeing you in two weeks be good and remember, the doctor said that if you want to feel those body parts again you need to stay in the ice tub everyday for a week!"
They would have stared up at him in disbelief if only they could have opened their eyes properly and moved their necks. They watched as Garp walk down the hill with his back hunch over laughing.
"OK boys, meat and mash potato smoothies. Drink up!" Berta said laughing.
"Remember that you have to take care of us for a whole week" Ace said with what looked like a smile, it was hard to tell.
Berta gave them a threatening glare and walked off in a less cheerful mood.
"Well guys," Sabo muffled "were alive!"
"Barely!" Ace muttered
"Hey Luffy! The pain hit you again?" Sabo asked, looking at the tears running down Luffy's cheeks.
"N-n-n-no! If you guys made me do it alone I would da died by this but I'm only injured!" he managed to say during sobs.
"Since with can't stretch out our hands we'll just call the name! BROTHERS!" Sabo shouted.
"BROTHERS!" Ace followed.
"B-B-B-R-ROTHERS" Luffy said once again between sobs.
"ALL OF YA BE QUIET ROUND THERE!" Berta shouted from the kitchen.
Ace, Sabo and Luffy shouted the words even louder, over and over again.
"Hey Luffy! You OK? You've been sitting on the Lion head for hours now" Nami asked from the kitchen door.
Luffy simply mouthed the word brother.
Dedicated to Ace and Sabo.
P.S
The song "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift and "I Was Here" by Beyonce is dedicated to Ace and Sabo and the song "Red" also by Taylor Swift is dedicated to Ace.