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“Ace, it’s your brother’s ship”, Haruta’s voice called over the deck of the Moby Two. She had been the new ship they had bought after Marineford (and the hell it had been to get him through everything that had happened there). Smaller than Moby had been, as Pops wasn’t on board anymore (he had survived Marineford, but had chosen to retire, leaving the crew in the hands of Ace and Marco).
Dropping what he had been doing, he leaned over the railing to get a good look. Frowning when he didn’t see which brother it was, “Haruta, Strawhats or Revs?”
The commander currently on watch duty called back that it was Luffy, which had Ace grinning widely. He had seen his youngest brother in Wano not too long ago, but after that Luffy had gone on to Egghead and Elbaph, after which a huge altercation had happened with the World Government that seemed to stay under wraps as not even Sabo was aware of the details. Grinning widely as he did see the Sunny dawn from the sea and glancing back at where Marco was standing, his lover looked just as excited to see Luffy, even if he did hide it better.
When Luffy didn’t call out for permission to board however, he was on edge. His brother’s ship looked in an ok condition, and none of his crewmates seemed to be hurt too badly. Still, Luffy was nowhere to be seen and he worried.
Zoro eventually called out, as he and Nami came on board with a sheepish smile on their faces.
Tilting up an eyebrow, he looked confused, “What is going on, where is Luffy?”
Biting her lip as she looked back at the ship, Nami sighed, “There was a problem… We ran into some Marines who didn’t like what Luffy did to the Elder Stars and tried to retaliate. Bonny was on board as well, and it seemed her aim was off…”
Eyebrows climbing high, Ace was aware of Bonny and what her devil fruit could do. Has Luffy aged? Was he too tired and old to be here right now, or was it something else that had happened to him after the marines tried to get to them. His agitation must have shown, as Nami turned back to her crew, mentioning to release him.
A door was opened and the tell-tale sound of rubber on wood had Ace relax.
The sound of a yell, “Ace”, helped too. Although he couldn’t help but have his eyes grow wide as he saw Luffy swing towards him and wrap him up in rubber arms. As this was not his twenty year old brother, instead Luffy looked to be around four!
“Lu- Luffy”, he finally got out, his eyes wide as he took in the child version of his baby brother. How long had it been since he saw Luffy this small, and even then it had been in pictures Makino had lying around. The large, beaming smile he got in return melted his heart.
As a child, Ace hadn’t been willing or able to see Luffy for what he could bring to him and Sabo. Filled with self-hatred and depression, he could only resist this small child that did everything different then how he would have done it. Only to have this crybaby refusing to give up information about him and Sabo to Bluejam. Luffy had been seven, but he’d been beaten for hours on end and he still he didn’t crack. Now, as adults, it was the same but Luffy was an Emperor in his own right and as such could take a hit. In his eyes a child Luffy, at the time, was not able to take it but still he did.
Rubber limbs tightened before releasing him, “Ace! Bonny made me a child again”, he exclaimed without a care in the world.
Nodding, Ace hummed, “I can see that, I’m assuming that means you’re having issues with your devil fruit again?”
The way Luffy’s crew nodded, and Luffy pouted made that more than clear. Again, Ace had been there as Luffy grew up and discovered his devil fruit before making it into the amazing power it was today. But as a child, he had been a disaster. Especially around water, both Ace and Sabo had to jump into the river to get him out more times then they could count. On top of the way he managed to get eaten half the time as well, it did always bring them dinner, but still.
Glancing at Zoro, Ace smirked, “I take it he still has a particular attachment to water?”
Luffy’s first mate nodded, “It’s uncanny how he can end up in the water being a devil fruit user! The cook and I have been jumping in until we locked him in the kitchen to keep him safe, which is why we’re here.” He flushes, “Seeing as you managed to keep him alive for so long…”
Laughing at that, Ace nodded, “Trust me, it wasn’t easy and I had Sabo at the start. Which reminds me, he is bound to pop up any day now. He called me not too long ago saying he’d be dropping by; he’ll love this seeing as he lost part of those memories for so long.”
Both the Strawhats and the Whitebeard Pirates nodded at that. Having seen the three brothers together and knowing what happened to Sabo, they felt for the blond brother and every moment he missed once he lost his memories. They were back, or most of them were, and there were a lot of them that counted as new ones. But he had confided in them at one point that he didn’t have all of them anymore, especially the ones from longer ago which hurt as he knew you forgot parts of your memories as you grew older but he never had them to begin with. Hearing that Ace also knew and wanted to use this moment to make sure he had memories of a younger Luffy was too sweet to put into words.
Marco steps forward, “How about we all get inside before Luffy ends up in the sea -yoi. Because I do believe you’ll forget you have a devil fruit again and will jump after him because you’re so used to doing that.” He side-eyes Ace as he said that, as to which Ace had no comment, he totally would even know he has a devil fruit.
The eye-roll Marco gives him just makes Ace laugh, before hugging Luffy tightly and running inside. He knows he’s giggling, but he can’t find himself to care. Child Luffy was a gem for putting up with him and Ace should have given him the love he deserved, he’ll do so now and no one is going to be able to stop him.
—
Looking after Luffy as a child was as troublesome as Ace remembered it to be. Even as an adult he’s bouncing all over the place and getting into shit he shouldn’t have any business getting into. The difference is that as an adult Luffy can punch his way out of things. As a child not so much, so the Strawhats’ idea of staying with the Moby Dick and as such more people to keep an eye on Luffy.
Ace had gotten the idea of making sure Luffy couldn’t just wander off, having taken one of his arms and tied it into a knot around his own wrist. Leaving Luffy with range of movement without the fear that he would toss himself off of the Moby without anyone knowing.
What he hadn’t taken into account, was Sabo’s arrival, and Luffy slinging himself towards their blood brother. With Ace still attached to him, having no choice but to let his baby brother drag him along with him, screaming just as loud.
He can see Sabo looking up joyously at the sight of a smaller Luffy, only to open wide in fear when Ace is dragged behind him. Colliding with his blond brother with Luffy in between them, squished together and loving it.
“Sabo, you’re here!”
It’s clear that Sabo doesn’t know what to think of this, but the way his eyes soften he does love seeing an even younger Luffy running around. His eyes finding Ace’s, to which he grins, “Bonny shit happened, and we have no idea when he’ll turn back. He’s been himself mostly, but I know you missed this most of all, so why not make use of that.”
The way Sabo’s hands wrap around him, tugging Ace closer is answer enough. Humming as he wraps his arms around Sabo in return, trapping Luffy in between them once more, Ace finds that it’s the best place to be right now.
Luffy is quiet, his eyes closed as he relaxes in the hug between his two brothers. A Camico goes off; and Ace learns to ignore it as he’s giving his own crew and the Strawhats more than enough material for years to come but he can’t find it in himself to care. His brothers are here and that’s all he needs right now.
Only releasing Sabo when he lets go of the hug, Ace is on his feet, pulling Luffy off of their blond brother and helping Sabo to stand up. A soft smile on both their faces as Luffy starts chattering a mile an hour. Allowing Ace to pick him up as he leads the way back inside, especially attached to Luffy, he doesn't want to get another dip in the ocean (after the three already done this morning).
With Luffy distracted, Sabo turns to Ace, “Thank you.”
Laughing, Ace shook his head, “I had hoped you’d be here in time to see him like this, I know you missed it the most.”
Sabo’s slightly misty eyes and wobbly smile are answers there, but Ace doesn’t let that stop him from wrapping an arm around the blond’s shoulder and making his way to his room. He’s due a nap anyway, and he always sleeps better with someone in bed with him. Something Luffy took advantage of to also do a nap now that he was small and could use one.
To their surprise and slight disappointment, Luffy is back to his adult self after his nap, cuddling close to his brothers regardless and mentioning he had a lot of fun being child-sized once more. He mentions that he knew Sabo missed it too, so now at least they all had new memories like that.
Neither Ace nor Sabo mention it, but they do hug him close after he said that. Squishing him in between them once more and laughing at the chance to go on an adventure together again. Even if the Strawhats probably won’t stay long now, too hyped up to go their own way again with their Captain once again back to normal size. But that would be for after, right now it was a moment between three brothers.