AN: Hey Ho, it's me! Sorry to all the readers who actually still hope for more chapters! By now I can't guarantee that I will ever finish it. It's just become super low priority and there is a whole lot of other things that I have to do. Anyways here is another chapter.
Jackson POV
Mt. Colubo, 1511
The years quickly went by in the Goa Kingdom and Ace and I turned 9 years old without having felt the passage of time very much. My stupid brother was still stupid, whereas this kind soul made sure to remind him of that simple fact at every chance he would give me.
Right now, I was watching that 'stupid brother' spin in midair, narrowly dodging a strike from Sabo's trusted iron pipe, while blindfolded might I add.
I sat perched on a crooked branch just above them, enjoying the fight with one leg dangling lazily and a half-eaten fruit in hand. A cool breeze rustled the trees, carrying with it the scent of moss and the distant salt of the sea. Mt. Colubo was quiet, aside from thumps of quick footwork, sounds of iron hitting trees and the occasional curse from Ace whenever Sabo got too clever.
"Watch it Ace! A giant snake is coming this way!" Sabo shouted with dramatic flair. Of course, there was no snake, just Sabo being a smartass in his attempt to disrupt Ace's concentration and haki.
"Do you think I would fall for that again?! Stop spouting crap, you have yet to hit me even once today." Though it was a nice try, Ace kept his cool and provoked Sabo in return.
He was holding up well today. Much better than just half a year ago. Back then he fell for nearly every trick played on him but now? Even while blindfolded, he danced around attacks like he could see them coming—and well, in a way, he could.
It took him two years to start sensing things… and one full year to actually use it properly. Not because he was slow. No. Just proud. Too damn proud to let me teach him. Said he'd 'figure it out on his own since I could also do it.' Idiot. At least he somehow got there by now.
As for Sabo? That little genius was doing extremely well. A year after our secret base collapsed, Ace began wandering around more places gradually getting further away from the mountains and out of the forests. At some point he and I stepped into gray terminal, where we met an adventurous blonde kid, wearing a top hat.
There is little to say about how we bonded, it was simply a match made in heaven. Sabo, as a character in the manga, counted among my favorites but Sabo as a living human is now a second brother to Ace and me.
Ace yelped below. Sabo's staff had nicked his side.
"Oi, stop spacing out and dodge, dumbass!" I shouted down.
"Shut it, Jackson!" Ace snapped, huffing. "Try fighting blindfolded, see how well you do!"
"I'd still win!" I called back, grinning.
Sabo chuckled, twirling his staff. "No kidding! What monster loses while fighting kids anyways?"
Well... I would love to retort... I really would... But he is right.
Not only did I grow ridiculously taller than them, but my strength also ballooned. As of now, the synchronization rate was at 30%. Nearly a third of Roger's power at his peak, even including conqueror's haki bursts.
This might be less than the previously anticipated 40% but there is no helping it. I'd completed the quest to awaken Armament Haki in time, the hardest way possible. No shortcuts. Risking my life, reckless dives into the open sea, baiting Sea Kings like a lunatic, fighting with nothing but fists and grit. Grandpa would've lost his mind if he knew. Or maybe he would've just laughed and called it 'character building.' That old devil did plenty of 'character building' in our spars now and then.
Still, even after all that, my synchronization rate was stuck at 30%. The next quest wouldn't activate unless I left the island.
Down below, the air suddenly shifted.
Ace's feet slid over dry leaves as he sidestepped another swing. His head tilted just a fraction to the left—Sabo's pipe narrowly missed. In one smooth motion, Ace twisted and dropped low, sweeping Sabo's legs out from under him.
Sabo yelped as his footing gave way. With a dull thud, he landed flat on his back, his staff rolling from his grip.
"Three-nil," Ace declared with a cocky grin, lifting the blindfold off his eyes. "Told you I got better."
Lying in the dirt, Sabo groaned. "Not fair. You've been training that weird sixth sense like a lunatic."
"And you've been slacking," Ace shot back, offering a hand to pull him up.
"I've been busy reading," Sabo replied, brushing leaves from his jacket. "Not everyone has the luxury of punching trees and pretending to be blind every morning."
I took one last bite of the fruit and tossed the core down between them. "Alright, girls, quit flirting. The sun's setting."
Ace rolled his eyes. "We could spar all day AND all night. You're the one always acting like a grandpa."
"Because I've got the brain cells. One of us has to be responsible."
Sabo smirked. "And that's you? Scary thought."
*Finger flick of tough love*
"Ouch! Not fair!"
Sabo earned himself a little present before we left the clearing together, following a narrow path through the underbrush. The sun dipped low, its golden light casting long shadows between the trees. Sabo was whistling some tune he probably made up on the spot, Ace kicked at loose stones, and I trailed behind.
By the time we reached the old fork near the Gray Terminal outskirts, the sky had turned orange.
"This is where I head off," Sabo said, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Same time tomorrow?"
"You always ask the same question, you know?" Ace scoffed. "Has our answer ever changed?"
"Just swing by whenever." I added. "You'll find us one way or the other."
Sabo grinned. He waved and walked off, disappearing between makeshift shacks and smoke trails.
Ace yawned loudly beside me. "Race you back?"
"Not today," I said, already lost in thought.
He didn't argue. For once.
As Ace took off, I lingered a moment longer, staring at the path Sabo had taken.
'Sabo… If you knew the future as much as I did, would you want me to intervene?'
-------
Somewhere on the Calm Belt…
The sun hung low over a glassy stretch of sea, not a wave in sight. No currents, no wind. Just silence. And then—
POP!
A cork flew skyward as a bottle of sake was cracked open aboard a lazily drifting ship. Red sails flapped without conviction against the mast. From below deck, music drifted up — someone was butchering a shamisen with cheerful enthusiasm.
At the bow, a red-haired man leaned against the railing, one leg propped up, a grin playing on his lips. His coat hung loosely from his shoulders, flaring more from dramatic effect than any wind.
"East Blue," Shanks muttered, raising the sake bottle to the horizon. "Been a while."
Benn Beckman approached, cigarette in mouth, brow furrowed in familiar exasperation.
"You're not planning to stir up trouble with some no-names again, are you?"
"Me? Trouble?" Shanks feigned innocence with the same grin that had launched bar fights across half the Grand Line. "Just dropping in. Causing a little ruckus. Some fun. Harmless."
"'Harmless,' he says…" Beckman exhaled smoke slowly. "I should just start drinking in the morning."
Before Shanks could answer, a familiar voice rang out from behind them.
"Shanks! How long are we gonna float in this boring belt?" Uta huffed, marching up the deck. "Yasopp said there are giant sea monsters here!" she added, trying to sound annoyed rather than scared.
Shanks turned to her instantly, his grin softening as soon as she came into view. "Don't worry," he said, crouching slightly to her level. "We'll be out of here soon. I've got a place in mind. You'll like it."
He ruffled her hair gently.
"East Blue?"
"East Blue."