Chapter Text
No.
Luffy felt like he was underwater, all of the sounds around him became muffled. His vision tunneled on the man in front of him. On his hair, his eyes, his hat, on the burn scar that was probably a result of the explosion he’d been in. Luffy felt like he couldn't breathe because there was no way that person in front of was-
No.
“What…did you say your name was again?” he heard himself ask, and he knew his crew was sending him worried and confused looks but he didn't care right now, because Luffy needed to know why this man looked so much like him .
No.
The man raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. Sabo had picked up that habit from Luffy and Ace , placing his hands on his hips.
No.
“I didn't, but if you must know,” and he pushed his hat up with one finger and Luffy's heart was racing , “My name is Sabo.”
No.
“ Liar.”
╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮
“What…did you say your name was again?” came the voice of the young pirate. Only his voice sounded off, like he was breathless and not all there. Straw Hats eyes were shaky and a bit unfocused, but they were on Sabo. The crew was giving Straw Hat differing looks of worry and confusion, the swordsman and orange haired woman in particular looked a second away from cutting Sabo down to get that expression off of their captain's face.
Sabo raised an eyebrow, tilting his head (and did Straw Hat just wince?) and placing his hands on his hips.
“I didn't, but if you must know,” he tilted his hat up with one finger, “My name is Sabo.”
The reaction he got was not the one he was expecting. Straw Hat seemed to take a step back, much to the alarm of his crew because Luffy never stepped away. The boy’s face was one of horror and slight anger, and when he spoke it was a snarl mixed with a sob. It was a feral thing, something that the boy had obviously learned.
“ Liar.”
Sabo blinked because what? He’d lied about his name a million times over the years, but this was not one of them. The princess was glaring at him and he shrugged at her.
“I can assure you that I am not lying, my name is Sabo. That's the truth.” Sabo responded, his mind racing for an answer as to why Straw Hat was calling him a liar of all things. His name was the one thing he was sure of.
Luffy shook his head violently, in a way that would hurt him if he wasn't rubber.
“ No, it isn't ,” the young man snapped, seemingly trying to convince himself more than Sabo, “Sabo is dead. He died. Dead people can't come back to life, Ace said so!”
Sabo's breath caught in his throat, pieces of a puzzle coming together in his mind. The flashes of memory, the things he knew about Luffy that he shouldn't.
Maybe…
“Why do you think I’m dead?” Sabo managed to ask, taking a few steps forward. The crew reacted almost as soon as he took the first step, weapons raised and faces stony.
Sabo raised his hands in a placating manner, but never took his eyes off of the young man in front of him. The left side of his brain was trying to make sense of what was happening, while the right side was wondering if he was dead and this was some weird hell, or maybe a hallucination? Can you hallucinate when you're dead? What he said was a combination of both sides of his brain.
“Now, I may not be an expert but since I am standing here and not on the ground in a stupid cartoon pose, I think it's safe to say that I am, and just hear me out on this, that I am alive.”
At the scowls he received from the crew around him, Sabo could wager that they didn't find him funny. Which, rude. Sabo was hilarious, he made Modeus laugh once and Lucia smiled all day afterwards. Sabo stopped his thoughts from getting off track. Now was not the time for him to think about how funny he was.
He turned his attention back to the young captain in front of him. Sabo took a deep breath, he couldn't believe he was about to even entertain the thought but…if there was a chance…he'd take it. Now to figure out how to phrase his question. He decided to take a few steps back, away from the captain. The orange haired girl and the long-nosed boy rushed to Straw Hats side, rubbing his arms and trying to calm him down. The princess, the blonde man, and the swordsman all stepped in front of them. Sabo sighed, hands still raised.
“What sea are you guys from?”
Sabo's question got him bewildered looks from the entire crew, Straw Hat included. The swordsman and the blonde man gave each other confused looks before responding in tandem.
“What?”
“Why the hell do you wanna know?”
Sabo huffed and lowered his hands to pinch his brow.
“Look, ten years ago I woke up on a ship after losing my memory in an accident that burned almost half my face and body.” Sabo started.
“So? What's that have to do with us being from the East Blue?” The long-nosed man asked, paling when he got glares shot at him from three of his crewmates as he realized he revealed what sea they hailed from.
Sabo had to stop himself from inhaling quickly.
“The accident I was in happened in the East Blue,” he clarified, eyes locked on Straw Hat who was looking at him in confusion. “A little ways off of the port of Goa Kingdom, on Dawn Island.”
The crew didn't seem to understand the significance of the name but Straw Hats wide eyes and gaping mouth told Sabo that the name meant something to the young captain.
“Goa Kingdom… I’ve heard of that place! It's supposed to be the cleanest place in the East Blue isn't it?” Nami spoke, “But why does that matter?” She asked, flinching when Luffy pulled away from her and Usopp to stand up.
“Luffy, what's wrong?”
A shaky breath was the sniper's answer as the captain took a small step forward.
“D-Dogra said he saw you die. He said your ship blew up, he saw my big brother die. ” Straw Hat breathed, the only sounds after he spoke were of the waves and the gulls overhead.
Sabo swallowed.
“I, I can’t promise anything, I don't know who I used to be, who I might have possibly been to you, but I know who I am now and what I am now,” Sabo took a deep breath, “My name is Sabo, I am a Commander in the Revolutionary Army and the furthest memory I have is of waking up on a ship off the coast of Dawn Island after an accident that permanently scarred me when I was 10.”
Sabo found himself nervously fidgeting with his fingers, rubbing his thumb and index finger against each other.
“I don't-”
A body suddenly colliding with him cut him off suddenly. Reflexively he wrapped his arms around it and spun in a circle to keep himself from going overboard.
“SAAAAABBBOOOOO! I THOUGHT YOU DIEDDDDDDDD!” Came the dramatic wail from the Straw Hat Captain hanging off of him like a monkey.
“Can’t,- gurk- breath!” Sabo gasped, before finally pulling his face away from where it was buried against Straw Hats stomach. He looked up at the tear covered face of the young captain and found that he hated the sight of sadness on him. He smiled, at himself and at Straw Hat- no. At Luffy. He felt lighter than he had in years.
Or maybe that was just because Luffy was cutting the oxygen off to his brain.
The crew watched their captain strangle the man that might be his long lost brother, smiles on their faces. Those smiles turned to panic when Sabo started turning blue.
“LUFFY YOU’RE KILLING HIM HOLY SHIT!”