sailedfirst | I. Video

Entry tags:

[video],
arrival

I. Video

[Hello, Luceti! Great day today, isn't it? The sky is blue and there's a good wind blowing... Perfect day to set sail and leave this weirdass island with its weirdass wings. Which is what this particular boy is planning to do today.

That is, once he figures out how exactly in hell this weird raft works.

Sabo had woken up in the shores of Luceti yesterday, in a state of panic and utter devastation. That's what happens when the last thing you remember is having a cannon ball that will kill you on impact flying straight towards you while you're trapped in a burning ship; that you're barely out of your prison, barely grasping your freedom, and you're going to die. Then he spent several long, long minutes agonizing whether he really did survive or this is some cruel, but real crazy dream he's having right before his death, before he finally shook his head and accepted the fact he'll get nowhere just by thinking about it.

That's when he began exploring this new island he landed in, starting by having a mild freak-out after discovering the wings on his back. His familiar blue coat was folded nearby, with a weird book on top of it. So next, he fiddled with his journal, read a bit of the guide, listened a bit to other people's broadcasts, and more or less gathered three important things:

1) he's in a different world (different island, he translated, or maybe the dream world?)
2) these Malnosso are assholes
3) there's no leaving this place

Fact number 3 is very much full of crap, Sabo decided. There's a whole ocean right in front of him, isn't there? He only needs a boat and then he's out of this weirdass place. But there's no port town in the map. This Luceti Village is too far inland, so they definitely won't have ships there. Maybe there's a dock? There has to be! Where else would they put their fishing boats and how else would the villagers travel to other islands? And so with the thought, Sabo begins walking along the empty beach in search for the docks. Luckily, he and his brothers spent so much time living outdoors that sleeping under a tree-root is no problem at all (he hasn't slept a wink though).

Early this morning, he finally reached the docks. But there's only a single vessel he could possibly use. He somehow managed to steal away the said vessel from the docks and navigate it farther down the beach. But that's the extent of the distance he can manage without using the raft's engines.]

[Video]
[The video opens with a stunning view of the sea and the clear blue sky. Almost immediately though, the screen is knocked sideways, and a blond boy in a blue coat and a New Feather pants appears in the screen, bending over the inside of the raft and the sound of tinkering and muted mutters can be heard.]

[Sabo pulls himself up, wiping sweat from his face, looking at the raft with a frown.] Looks like I won't be able to sail this thing far. Not without a power source, I guess. Dammit, why aren't there any normal fishing boats in this place?! [This complaint is followed by a few curse words no ten-year old should be using. Then he turns his sight on the "horizon", eyes narrowing. He heard something about a barrier, but Sabo's not ready to believe that yet. He's not ready to be told he's trapped again.

The next words are softly spoken, barely heard against the waves on the shore.] ...I can't stay here. I need to go out to the sea.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Are not!

[Ace isn't sure if he believes him anymore. And frankly... he refuses to lie to his brother like this. Not for something this important. He swallows once, and then takes a short breath.]

Because I'm from after that. After... you got shot on the boat. [That hurt just to say it. He's worried for how Sabo will react now.]

[Sabo stiffens. No... This can't be happening. This can't happen. He must've heard Ace wrong.

Swallowing nervously and looking everywhere but Ace. Not even noticing how he's such a crappy liar around his brothers.] That's what I said, right? After I got on the boat.

[Sabo ignored him. He didn't ask him to repeat it, he didn't even look confused. He just flat out ignored him. That is the breaking point for Ace, and he just tackles him to the ground and punches him in the face.]

DAMMIT, QUIT LYING! DON'T IGNORE ME LIKE THAT, I KNOW YOU KNOW!

[It hurts like hell, both the fact he's lied to his brother and got caught, and knowing for certain that Ace knows what happened; that he can't pretend and make things seem better to Ace.

Certainly not the punch, he's been punched before and this one goddamn hurts too, but... it's nothing compared to the complete hopelessness he's feeling.

So he just lies there, nose bleeding, staring aghast at Ace.] Y...you're not supposed to know that. W-why... how did you...

[It hurts Ace, too. Having to drag all this up, when it's probably an open wound for Sabo more than Ace. He just glares down at Sabo, hurt and angry and just so confused.]

You fucking ignored me when I said you got shot. Don't try to bullshit your way out of that. That gave it away.

[He's feeling too many things at once, but out of everything, there's one thing he's certain of.] ....I'm not going to apologize for lying. You're not supposed to know about that-- that incident.

[He sits up, wiping the blood with the back of his wrist.] I'd rather you and Luffy believe I got away... That I was out there in the sea. If I had to lie to make you believe that, then hell I'll try my damn best to!

[Too bad he hasn't dealt with it for himself yet.]

[He was willing to lie to his own brothers' faces, keep an important truth from them, and be okay with it? Ace snaps at this point. He just gives Sabo the hardest possible punch he can because fuck this shit.]

STOP BEING SO SELFISH!! You'd rather Luffy and I thought you were alive?! That everything was just a goddamn lie!? WE'D WANT TO KNOW WHAT TOOK YOU SO WE CAN FIGHT AGAINST IT, YOU DUMBASS! [Ace stands up, and shoves Sabo away.]

We're brothers, dammit! We don't try to hide things from each other! And DEFINITELY not important stuff like this!

[He sees that fist coming, but he only grits his teeth. To Sabo, it feels like a deja vu from the first fight they teamed up together, only it's Ace doing the punching this time. It sends him back to the ground, hard.

Then he shakes his head, breathing hard, and spitting out blood as he pulls himself up. He listens to Ace's shouts with his head bowed. When he finally looks up, he just looks... lost and so very sad.]

What do you want me to say...? Do you want me to tell you that I'm going to die? That I'm trapped in a burning ship, and there's a cannon ball heading straight at me, about to blow me apart? That I'm not even that far from High Town, and I end up dead?

Is... is that what you really want to hear from me?

[Feeling his stomach and heart twist like that is almost unbearable. But worst of all, he hates seeing his brother like this. He can't stand it when he's lost or upset, or anything like this. This hurts the most. Ace just clenches his fists, and looks him straight in the eye.] Yeah. We already knew.... Dogura came and told us. It... hurt. It really, really hurt. But it's better than not knowing what happened. Luffy and I swore we would get stronger, so we wouldn't lose anyone ever again. It still hurts to hear that you got killed. It'll never stop hurting. But I'd rather deal with that pain than be ignorant of what's happening to my brother.

[Sabo tries to hold that look, but he can't. If he does, he won't be able to stop the tears and he'll break his word. He settles at looking at the sea instead, the sea that had always meant his freedom. He just never thought it'd mean his death too.

He gives a watery smile.] You two would've done that anyway. You'd be too pissed at me getting ahead of you, you'd have wanted to beat me down next time we meet.... [He shakes his head.] I still can't believe you knew... That's one of the things that scared me most when I realized what's going to happen.

[Your fake smiles are really kind of pissing him off. And avoiding his gaze, too. This is just frustrating, and he wishes this never had to happen.] ... sorry, Sabo. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you. At all. And I wish we could've helped, but we would've known eventually.

I'm still gonna kill those bastards someday.

Yeah, I guess it can't be a secret forever. You and Luffy are nosy like that. [Sorry, sorry, this is how he deals, okay? He's goading Ace to tease back, to say something familiar and non-depressing stuff. The effort's half-hearted though. Landing in another world, discovering he's not dead, and meeting brothers he thought he'd never see again and all the feelings they carry are just so exhausting.

He rubs his eyes.] See, this is another reason I didn't want you to know. You'd go and do something stupid and reckless... It's a World Government ship that shot me down, Ace. You'd be fighting against the world.

No shit. We aren't gonna let you keep something like this. Wouldn't you wanna know if Luffy or I died? [Ironically, he refuses to tell Sabo he died when he's an adult again. And Ace just scoffs and crosses his arms.]

So frickin what!? The world already hates me, so I'll fight them if I have to!

[Sabo doesn't know what to say to that. He left without knowing for certain whether Ace and Luffy made it out of the fire. He just assumed the best, and made himself believe that they did, that they're alive and not burnt along the trash. Because he simply couldn't bear thinking otherwise.]

...Maybe. But dammit, that just sucks to think about! We're all here, right?! You, me and Luffy. We can all be together, just like we always did. Can't we just be glad for that?

...If you really have to, then it's no problem. It isn't wrong to fight for your life or protect people you love! But you're talking of getting them back for having me killed. Nothing good comes out of picking a fight over revenge!

[He nods his head a few times, then looks out to the ocean.] Damn right we can. No one's dead here, that's what matters.

I CAN'T JUST LET THEM GO FOR WHAT THEY DID! Picking a fight with family is picking a fight with me! The Marines or World Government or nobles, I don't care! Anyone who hurts my family is an enemy!

[Okay, that one makes Sabo angry.] And after that, what? What's going to happen after you've fought? Are you going to feel better? Do you think it'll make everything okay? I'M STILL GOING TO BE DEAD, RIGHT?!

[He stands up and grabs Ace's shoulders.] Ace, I don't wanna be forgotten, but I don't want you to be bitter whenever you remember me! Because if you keep this up, all you'll remember about me is how I died! DO YOU THINK I'D LIKE THAT?!

THIS WAY, THEY WON'T HURT ME OR ANYONE I CARE ABOUT! It'll make things better! I don't know if they'll go after Luffy or me or my future nakama! I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THAT RISK!

[After Sabo yells more and grabs him, Ace just full on headbutts his brother square in the forehead. Because FUCK YOU.] YOU HONESTLY THINK I'D ONLY REMEMBER YOU THAT WAY!? There's too much else to remember than just your death! I'd remember our first fight! Or when we met Luffy and fought to get him back! And when we became brothers! I'M GONNA KILL THEM TO PROTECT MY FAMILY! I don't want to be stuck just remembering everyone!

[Sabo took the hits earlier because he deserved it for lying to a brother. But over this? He's not going to take this lying down. The second he regains his balance from the headbutt, Sabo whirls and kicks his shithead brother hard in the stomach.]

NO! You fight for those who're still alive! For those who you still can save! Isn't that what you said?! That you and Luffy swore you'd get stronger so you wouldn't have to lose anyone again? That's how it's supposed to work, dumbass!! YOU DON'T GO THROWING YOUR LIFE AWAY FOR THE DEAD, NO MATTER HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE! You call me selfish, but you don't even think of what'll happen if that recklessness gets you killed! What d'you think Luffy will feel?! Or the nakama you're going to leave behind?!

[He heaves a huge breath in and lets it out in a long sigh.] Look, I... I'm not dealing with this very well. I still can't accept that there's only death waiting for me back home, that all my dreams and plans for the future just end there in that bay. That I'm never going to see you and Luffy again. So hearing you say all these stuff... it worries me. Because I won't be there to stop you from doing stupid things. I... I won't be able to watch your back for you. Not anymore.

[That get the wind knocked out of Ace, and he stumbles back a bit, clutching his stomach. He grits his teeth, though, and moves to knee Sabo right in the chest. Like fuck he's going to let it go on like this.]

WEREN'T YOU LISTENING!? I'm doing this to protect people! If they hurt you, they'll hurt again! I want to stop them before they hurt anyone else! That's why I'm getting stronger! TO GO AFTER THOSE BASTARDS AND MAKE SURE THEY WON'T HURT ANYONE!

[He just glares at Sabo more, punching his arm hard. Just because.] Stop being so goddamn depressing. You're here now, and you're alive. [Ace is also bad at dealing with this because he doesn't want to think about how he won't see Sabo alive in his world anymore.] I'll be fine, okay!? I'm not like Luffy. I'm stronger.

[Stumbling a step backwards from that knee, barely stopping himself from falling flat again. Wheezing through clenched teeth, Sabo glares furiously at Ace. He knows his brother is a stubborn bastard, but this idiocy is going too far.]

You... YOU STUPID IDIOT! [Using that extra step to swing a powerful hook right at Ace's face.] THEY'RE NOT GOING TO STOP! There'll always be new enemies that can hurt the people you love! And I know you, you dumbass! You don't stop fighting, not even when you're dying! If you want to always protect people, MAKE SURE YOU'LL STAY ALIVE, DAMMIT!

[He hisses and rubs his arm. Then Sabo's paying that back with a heavy fist on Ace's head. Just because.] Hey, I never died before. I didn't know it'll be this damn depressing, okay?! Cut me some slack here! [He looks at his hands. Yeah, he's alive, isn't he? He's here... And Ace and Luffy are here. This second chance is already giving him more than what he expected to have. For the first time since arriving here, he's going to sound genuinely hopeful.] ...Yeah, I'm here, aren't I.

[Just like that, there's a fiery blue phoenix descending in their mix and trying to break up the fight, attempting to get in between them without kicking either of them in the face. While Marco can handle any damage either of the boys throw at him, he doesn't think the reverse holds true.]

Knock it off! It's great you're together again, but if you're going to start bleeding all over, at least do it someplace without sand.

What the hell is this all about anyway?

[It's probably a note of what kind of nakama Marco is that rather than trying to protect Ace from Sabo, he seems to think Ace is likely to be the more unmanageable of the two. Blame it on childhood stories and a good memory of Ace's endless rage and hot temper. That said, he's got fiery blue wings up between them so any attempts to go through him will be less effective than punching a pillow, all the damage ready to be absorbed at a moment's notice.]

[Ace was about to punch Sabo again until he saw Marco's wings in the way. He rubs his own head, glaring at Marco for interfering.]

None of your damn business! So just fuck off! [And in an attempt to make you go away, he kicks your leg. So there's that.]

I don't need you butting in here!

[Sabo's expecting another punch, so he's just gearing up for an attack of his own when he gets a face-full of warm phoenix-wing instead.] GHK! Hey, w-what the hell?!! [And then he sees it.

A fiery blue phoenix might not have distracted Ace from the fight, but to Sabo, it's super effective. He goes completely still and stares open-mouthed at this huge mythical, talking (with a vaguely familiar voice) sparkly bird... which is trying to get him and Ace to quit fighting because... they'd get sand in their wounds? ...Huh?

But then Ace is attacking it, so maybe it's an enemy? Getting a hold of his sheer amazement enough to shift back into an offensive stance, ready to attack the phoenix at his brother's notice.] Ace, you know this thing?!

I'm Marco.

[Takes the kick without much notice, though he bats at Ace with a wing to make it even harder on the punk. He switches to hybrid, so it's a bit clearer who the phoenix is, though he's no less in the way from it.]

Ace knock it off. I've taken your grandfather's punches at full force to the jaw, so trust me when I say the only reason I'm not kicking you is because it might kill you.

The bastard's apparently my nakama when I'm a pirate. Tch. [Though it's clear he's not happy about that at the moment. He expects the wing to hit harder, so he's a bit surprised when it barely hurts. However, he continues to glare at the intruder, turning away from the both of them.]

Just go away! This has nothing to do with you, okay!?

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