A/N: Welcome to my fanfiction. I'm happy that you decided to drop by and give it a chance. I really hope you will enjoy it. This will be an SI/ OC story, with an OC that had knowledge about the One Piece timeline and I am planning on changing a lot instead of simply following the plat Be ready for a long ride containing lots of fluff, angst and hopefully fun.

I really appreciate some feedback, to know how I can improve your reading experience. Don't be afraid to just drop a short comment on whatever you feel like is relevant. Thank you in advance!

Also, I wrote the first two chapters four years ago, before going on a long hiatus. I don't plan on taking another one anytime soon. It's been some eventful years for me, but I hope that with the gained life experience I have gathered, I can implement those to make things better.

Have fun!

Warnings: Obvious spoilers, mayhaps some cussings here and there and a somewhat dark theme

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone besides my OC and the events varying from the plot

Chapter One: Finders Keepers

The stench of fresh blood and burnt flesh filled the crisp night air with a disgusting scent. Crimson red liquid was prettifying the otherwise untainted snow blanket and nothing but the hollow tu-whit tu-whoos of a lone owl echoed through the deserted area.

There, in the middle of nowhere, stood a house, brightly ablaze. Orange, yellow and red animatedly played on the dark blue sky, creating an indescribable scene. The big silver moon hung high upon the horizon, giving the sight one last touch. So beautiful, yet gruesome.

Inside, amid all those flames, was a young girl, frantically searching for an exit. However, no matter where she looked, fire was engulfing her sight. It was hot, unbelievably hot.

Tongues of fire were licking her already scarred skin as she hectically toddled across the wooden floor. Her time was running out. She was already cornered, with no way to escape. It was either wait for the red hell to take over her body, or run through it with the hope of arriving on the other side – alive, of course.

A painful coughing fit racked her frail skull. The smoke was giving her a harder time than she expected it to. Her eyes hurt and her throat was sore from the dryness it was exposed to. She had long given up hope of coming out of this alive. She didn't even want to. After all that had happened… It was too much, she couldn't take it anymore.

Swallowing hard, she slowly took one step after another until she was completely surrounded by the merciless flames. It was agonizing, not only the fire, steadily eating away her skin, but also the fact that she had selfishly left behind her family to burn with this house. She could still feel their unbelieving stares burning into the back of her head; see their helpless expressions and outstretched arms, reaching out for her quickly retreating form. She was such a heartless monster. She had left them... The had freaking left them! They were probably dead by now…

A sudden crack pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned to search for the source, but before she could even catch a glimpse of it, she was forcefully thrown to the ground. The roof had collapsed, trapping the motionless girl. A puddle of blood was soon forming beneath her. There was no escape.

Nothing but pain filled her mind, but she didn't deserve anything else – after all, she had been the cause of all this misery; the one to lay this fire.

A weary sigh escaped her dry lips. She was a no-good up until the very end. It was laughable. She could already imagine the news going around: 'Crazy pyromaniac murders whole family.' Or something similar. That would be one of the most humiliating things that had ever happened to her. She never wanted anything like this! She never wanted to hurt anyone...

Another cough forced her to let go of those self-loathing thoughts. Seriously, she was in death's doorstep and all she could do was selfishly thinking about herself.

Black dots started to fill her vision, covering the beautiful shades of fire. It was over. Finally over. Her pitiful excuse of a life had come to an end.

A mischievous grin tugged on her lips as she weakly whispered her final words.

"Farewell, you damned world."

It was a usual day in the Kingdom of Goa. People were lazily walking along the bustling streets of High Town; others were searching through the trash in the Grey Terminal; a certain group of mountain bandits was strolling around the woods of Mt. Corvo and a little boy, we all know just too well, was playing around in Windmill Village. Nothing out of the ordinary. Well, if it weren't for the fact that the Kingdom now had one uninvited guest.

A young girl, that couldn't be more than a mere child, was aimlessly ghosting around High Town, her body cruelly mutilated and her hair hideously charred. The clothes she was wearing, were nothing more than pieces and black shreds of what they used to be. Nonetheless, the people around here only spared her with looks of disgust. None of them would raise even their little finger to lend a hand. Not a single one, except for a certain little boy.

It was late noon as Sabo sauntered around his old home. It felt like yesterday that he had run away, but he knew that a lot of time had passed since then. He never regretted his decision. Life had been so much more fun. There was no one to scold him anymore, no need to study anymore and nothing to hold him back.

Simply put, he was free.

However, this freedom had come with its sacrifices. He was always on a run. He couldn't risk getting caught by his former 'family'. The consequence was his inability to talk to the children of High Town. It could sure get lonely from time to time.

He sighed. Honestly, he had to stop being this negative. One day he would find someone who accepted him the way he was – someone who wouldn't sell him out to his parents…

The vehement whispers of a few passerbys caught his attention. Everyone he had crossed ways with talked about the same topic. Something big must have happened to cause such an uproar.

He slightly tilted his head downwards, hiding his face in the shadows of his hat.

"Have you already heard? There is a girl running around here. Her whole body is claimed to be burnt. They say she is a left-behind member of a pirate crew. No one knows how she got into this town, bet they plan to get rid of her soon. She is only dirtying the ground she walks on, that pirate filth. I hope she will be taken care of before she gets to harm an innocent bystander. I've also heard that she is unbelievably ugly. Such a-"

This was as much as the blond boy could take. How could people speak that way about someone they didn't know?! Perhaps the girl wasn't even a pirate at all! Perhaps she was simply searching for some help. She was hurt after all, right?

Oh no. He had to swallow hard. They wanted to get rid of her. He had to do something about that! He couldn't just allow an already injured girl to be manhandled.

His legs started to move on their own accord. He was erratically running through the crowded streets, leaving behind a trail of dust. He had a hunch where the girl could be. From what he had collected on the way, she must have caused quite the mess. Even the higher-ups were aware of the 'intruder'.

Soundlessly, he tip-toed after one of the many guards walking around. He was sure that they were all trying to surround the person he was looking for and take her along, but luckily, they didn't know all the side streets of High Town the way he did. He could easily snatch her away from under their noses and disappear into the shadows. He had everything planned out in his head. He would first lead her out of the town and then hide her in his current home for the time being. She had to stay low on profile as long as she was being searched for. However, it all depended on her decision. Would she follow, or would she try to break out of his grasp?

He wouldn't know until he tried.

The guard hadn't gone very far before he suddenly halted, forcing Sabo to hide behind a corner. They had arrived at the market place. The citizens had gathered into a gaffing crowd, circling a certain girl. It was certainly the weirdest girl the blonde had ever seen. She was taller than he was and her pitch black hair was sticking out in every direction. It was as short as a boy's. They weren't very - he had to think for the right word - appealing. Her eyes on the other hand were a completely different story. A light shade of blue, almost icy.

He could see her head turning to him. Their gazes met, causing a chill to run down the blonde's spine. It felt like she was looking right through him, down into his very core. He couldn't look away. Those bewitching eyes held him captive. Confusion, realization, knowledge and agony flashed across her expresson, but it was soon replaced by a listless stare. Her lips, however, seemed to desperately form two tiny words.

Help me.

That was enough to break the young boy out of his trance. Without giving it a second thought, he dashed forward, pushing through the crowd, and grabbed one of the girl's hand, pulling her along as gently as possible. He didn't wait for a response, nor did he have to. The girl's fragile and cold fingers tentatively intervened with his', giving him a reassuring squeeze as if trying to tell him that everything was alright and that she was grateful. Of course, this was only his assumption. He had to hear it from her on her own, but she simply followed him without uttering a single word. He didn't want to break the silence, walking through the dark alleyways, though he couldn't deny his curiosity. What had happened to her? Wasn't she curious as well? Usually it were the girls who tended to start a small talk.

He could feel her hand uncomfortably shifting in his. It took him a second to finally realize, that they had been burnt as well, obviously. The sensitive red flesh rubbed against his raw skin. He wanted to let go, but as soon as he loosened his grip, the girl tightened her hold once again. He felt the urge to look at her face, to see what she actually thought. However, not once had Sabo turned around, too afraid to be greeted by an angry expression or some kind of hostility. Was she just humouring him? No, that was out of question. He couldn't imagine someone in this state still thinking straight. He was actually surprised that she had willingly complied without having a panic attack or complaining about the pain she must be feeling. Wordlessly, they continued their hurried walk.

It wasn't long that they had sneaked around, before they found themselves in front of a great wall, separating poor from rich. Not really rich, if you considered Low Town, but there was still a great gap between those two areas.

Unnoticed by the guards, Sabo slipped himself and the girl through the gate. They had finally arrived at the Grey Terminal. No one would try to catch them here, if they didn't cause any ruckus that is.

The high mountains of trash towered over the two escapees. No one seemed to be present. They had most likely returned to their home bases or the like. Thinking of that, Sabo had to hurry getting to his own. The sun was already setting and he didn't want to linger in the forest at night-time. Wild animals could target them and make them their early snack. There was no way that the blonde could fend them off while protecting someone. Originally, he had planned on arriving earlier, but he had noticed that the girl wouldn't last much longer. She was trying her best to keep up with his pace, even though it wasn't really that fast.

His presentiment had been proven to be true, as he suddenly felt a new weight on his shoulder. She had fainted. How troublesome. A weary sigh escaped his lips. It would have happened sooner or later anyways. With a little hitch, he heaved her onto his back, trying to ignore the unpleasant feeling of her hot flesh brushing against him. Man, she was heavier than she looked!

After a few difficulties, he had eventually dragged her limp body to his hideout. It was little cave near a river. The moon had long risen high above the horizon after they had entered the forest of Mt. Corvo. Luckily, they hadn't stumbled upon a carnivore. Yet. Sabo still had to get water from the river. He had to clean the wounds of the enigma that was lying on his makeshift bed in his base, before he could properly take a look at them.

Silently, he gathered some wood and twigs from the far corner of the cave and put them on a pile. This should suffice. With a quick flick of his hand with two stones, he lit up the heap and left the cave, a bucket firmly gripped in one of his hands. The other one held his pipe. Hopefully, it wouldn't be needed.

The fresh night air felt great against his face. All this stress was getting to him even though the hour mark had yet to be passed. Still, it was really exciting nevertheless. This was the first time for something like that to happen. Perhaps he had finally found the friend he was looking for! But… she had to be years older than him. She wouldn't be interested in games and pranks.

The boy let his head hang. So much for finding a friend. She would leave him as soon as she was completely healed. Of course, that didn't mean that he was going to leave her in the lurch. As much as he hated to admit it, but some teaching of his parents got stuck. A lady is to be treated with utmost care, they had said. Always stay polite.

Argh, his mind was wandering again. There were more important things right now! Like getting the water already for example. He could worry about the secondary things later.

"Puh."

With a last glance at his handiwork, Sabo slumped onto his butt. It had taken him almost two hours to finally finish. As he had already feared, it weren't just the visible parts of the girl that were horribly burnt, but also other… places.

The boy couldn't suppress the heat rising up to his cheeks, tinting it in many shades of red. He should forget what had happened. It was more than inappropriate and the fact that she would most likely connect the dots and find out who wrapped her up, was more than unsettling. Fortunately, she slept like a rock. Not even his clumsy attempts of cleaning her wounds woke her up.

The blonde sighed for the umpteenth time this day and closed his eyes, leaning against the wall behind him. It would be for the best, if he went to sleep now. It had been a long day. Thinking straight was something he couldn't do anymore anyways. He could decide he was going to do tomorrow.

Almost two month had passed since Sabo had picked up the weird girl. The commotion in High Town had long since settled down and everything was back to normal again. However, the girl had not shown any sign of waking up even once. She remained oblivious to the world.

Sabo had read through almost every single book there was about medicine, but none could tell him what he wanted to hear: That she would wake up for sure. He had tried everything! Shaking her awake, pouring a bucket of water on her and even screaming his voice raw. She-, she just wouldn't react to anything at all and the worst part was that her condition was slowly deteriorating. Her body temperature had dropped rapidly and her breathing was almost non-existent. On the top of it, she was losing weight as well! He didn't have the money, nor the authority to get her into an appropriate hospital. Getting a freelance doctor was out of question too. All he could do was take care of her external injuries and hope that she would wake up soon. If she didn't, she would famish in the near future. It wasn't like he knew her, but after looking after her for so long, he had gotten used to the presence of the enigma always being beside him while he was at his hideout. He simply didn't want to be alone anymore. Even if the girl wasn't consciousness, she was still there. That was enough to brighten up the blonde. He still had hope; hope that she would soon wake up.

As the days flew by, Sabo was getting more and more anxious. The girl had yet to awaken from her seemingly endless slumber. However, it wasn't until he unexpectedly met another boy around his age, that she finally showed signs of doing so. He was, indeed, an interesting fellow. That day he was just wandering around the forest, searching for some game as he suddenly attacked him…

"Aaargh!"

The sudden yell caught Sabo off guard. He turned around, trying to see if somebody had gotten themselves into trouble with the wildlife around here, but he was only greeted with a thick tree limb in his face.

"Hey! What was that for?! What did I do to you?!"

He couldn't suppress the anger seeping from his voice, as he eyed the culprit that caused his hurting nose in front of him: Slightly wavy black hair limply hanging from his head, merciless black eyes staring him down and a prominent frown gracing his features. That was what he was faced with. However, what struck out the most were the sunny freckles covering his cheeks. Who was that boy? He had never seen him around this place before. Could he be from Windmill Village down at the port?

Without a warning the said boy swung down his branch once more, but this time Sabo sidestepped, causing the other to stumble slightly. Obviously too much force had been put into the attack. The blonde watched the boy with interest. His eyes narrowed. Unlike the girl he had found roughly two month ago, he seemed to be around his age. Perhaps he was willing to be his friend! He just needed him to stop with his violent approach.

Another unpredictable blow to his side brought him back to his senses. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from wincing in pain. That one had hurt more than the hit to his face! However, he didn't have the time to dwell over his rips as the black haired boy charged at him yet again.

Fine, he could have it his way.

Gripping the metal pipe in his right hand, Sabo took stance to block the incoming assault. He raised both his arms, holding up his weapon and slightly bent down his knees. As if on cue, the other struck down on the pipe. Not missing a beat, he ducked, barely avoiding being hit himself. Sabo had swiftly changed to the offence and tried to bash the other's neck. The moment he noticed that the other had evaded his attempt, he jumped back, just escaping some wood aiming at his legs. You've got to hand it to him. He was really quick and a fast thinker. Where had he learnt to fight like this? The blonde was really curious.

Careful of his actions, Sabo dashed forward, his pipe held behind him, giving him enough room to lunge. Within the blink of the eye, both of their weapons clashed. Neither one of them was willing to step back. They sojourned minutes in that position: Sabo trying to push down from above, while the other tried to keep his stance from below. Their faces were only centimeters apart, noses almost touching. The intense glares they were giving each other were intimidating and the sheer power of both of them scared off even the animals indwelling this forest. It seemed like an eternity before one of them finally gave in. At least, that was what the blonde boy had thought at first. As his gaze fell upon the other boy in front of him, he couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Seriously now?!"

The raven had fallen asleep, soundly snoring away as if nothing had ever happened. Sabo groaned. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't possibly leave him lying there in the open, where he was nothing more than an easy prey for carnivores. It was already dark after all. On the other hand, his rational side told him not to do what he was planning to. He couldn't risk that boy to go on a rampage at his hideout - not with her still resting there, but then again… He looked at the innocent face that the subject of his distress was making. He seemed so peaceful.

Sabo pressed shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. This was so going to bite him in the ass later.

With a sigh, he proceeded to pick up the napping boy and dragged him along.

This was how he had gotten himself into his current situation. Huddled into a corner, he watched as his two charges placidly laid on the ground, facing the fire he had started not too long ago. They were still dossing, much to his displeasure. He had to stay awake and make sure that the new one wouldn't cause any trouble, but the fact that he hadn't gotten any shut eye for a while now wasn't really advantageous. His eyelids grew heavier with every second that passed and it was getting harder to keep his head up. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep himself.

The next morning arrived. It was bright and sunny, with the big yellow blob hanging high above the horizon. It was a promising sign.

Sabo awoke to the crackling of fire close to him. Shouldn't his bonfire have ceased long ago? Weird.

Languorously, he forced open his eyes. He had to blink a few times to get a clear sight, but what he saw wasn't something he had expected. The boy he had picked up the day ago was crouched in front of a fire, idly grilling-… was that crocodile flesh?

Incredulously, he rubbed his eyes, not believing the scene playing out in front of him. When-, no, how in the world had he gotten that?! Sure, the boy was incredibly strong, but the animals around here weren't normal! They were huge and merciless. They would have ripped the boy apart as soon as he set foot on their territory, let alone challenge them!

"Here."

Without turning around, the black haired boy threw the piece of meat he had just been grilling at him. How did he know that he was awake?

He caught the flying haunch and took a cautious bite. It tasted alright. He just hoped that the other hadn't poison it.

"Why didn't you leave me there?"

Sabo looked up from his meal. Why indeed. He didn't know the answer himself. It was more on a whim and his damned conscience that deluded him into doing such a reckless thing. For all he knew, the boy simply could have killed him in his sleep.

He stared at the hunched back of the other, with a soft expression. "Who knows?"

"Don't fuck with me! You must have some kind of sick plan, if you didn't toss me at the animals to rip me into shreds! I attacked you! No one would save their enemy without a reason. What do you want from me?"

The boy had turned around in his angry ramble and was now facing the blonde with rage written all over his face. Sabo was dumbstruck for a moment. Why was he that hostile towards him? What had happened to make him think like that? This wasn't normal for a child his age!

"Answer me damn it! And stop staring at me like that!"

"You seem to be chattier than yesterday. Have you calmed down a little?" He watched as the other grew even more livid, but it was better that way. He didn't want to lose his chance of getting a new friend by acting insensitive and suspicious. First of all he needed the boy to calm down and then gain his trust. It sounded easier than it actually was with the slightly taller person towering over his sitting form, hands clenched into tight fists and a deep scowl apparent on his face. He was obviously barely holding himself back.

"What kind of game are you playing, huh?! Don't fucking take me for an idiot! Who are you working for? That thugs I beat into pulps in the Grey Terminal? If you want to revenge them, then do it already!"

It hurt. He couldn't explain the reason, but those accusations he was throwing at him felt like threads slowly choking him. His muscles twitched and his breathing got shaky and uneven. No. He had to keep clear head! Getting caught up in the moment now wouldn't do anyone any good. C'mon Sabo, keep calm!

"You've got quite the temper there. Why don't we both sit down and quietly discuss this over breakfast?" He couldn't help but emphasize that they had to turn down the volume and gestured to the still sleeping girl beside them for an explanation. "We wouldn't want her to wake up to this kind of situation, now would we?"

The freckled boy glanced into the direction he was pointing at, his expression hardening at the sight. He seemed to be studying the girl's features – mostly the uncovered skin that was littered with prominent scars. Sabo couldn't really wrap up her whole face with gauze like he did with her body. He had done so at first, but it just looked really wrong and wouldn't stay where it was supposed to.

"Fine." The other crossed his arms and sat back down in front of his meal, picking up his piece of crocodile flesh. Ruthlessly, he chomped down and swallowed an enormous chunk of it. One bone after another piled beside the little camp. The blonde could only stare in utter shock. How could he even stomach so much food? Where did it all go? He blinked and then shifted his gaze down to his own half-eaten haunch. A grumbling sound resonated from his stomach. Well, he should actually start to dig in as well, if he wanted to avoid getting into some kind of trouble because of an empty stomach.

With much more self-restraint, Sabo chewed on his meat, still watching the other devour the remaining parts of the wild animal.

"Bwoh aw wyo?" The freckled boy asked, not bothering to swallow before he spoke. His glare never left his dark eyes.

Intentionally, Sabo wanted to scold him and tell him that he should introduce himself first, but the boy had just cooled off, so he dropped it, reverting to merely smiling. "I'm Sabo, and you?"

"Why should I tell you?" The taller hissed, having finished his meal. He was now completely facing the blonde who leaning against the wall with his back.

"I don't mean any harm. I'm solely a child living out here on the skirts of the Grey Terminal and Mt. Corvo." He responded imperturbably. The other just eyed him wearily, reverting to glancing at the girl near him repeatedly. "And who's this?"

Sabo contemplated whether to tell him the truth or simply lie about her. Could he trust him? As weird as it sounded, he didn't even feel uneasy about that thought. It was like he knew that he wouldn't even dare to harm them after he hadn't left him in the forest.

"I don't know." He eventually stated, staring at the girl himself.

"What do you mean, you don't know?!" The black haired boy growled silently, apparently not wanting to wake her as well.

"I don't know. I found her wandering around a month ago. She hasn't opened her eyes even once since then." He bit his lower lip, pulling up his legs to rest his head on them. "Her injuries were really severe."

"Why don't you just leave her, if you didn't know her anyways? You ain't her caretaker or something like that. She'll die anyways. Just look at her, she's all skin and bo- ack!"

Suddenly, the raven haired boy was thrown to the ground by a fuming blonde.

"Don't say something like that! She's a human as well! You don't just throw away life like that! Everyone has the right to live!" He was panting hard, barely containing himself. His hands were fisted into the others collar, pressing him down. He could see him gritting his teeth and glaring at him with rancour.

"Everyone you say? Ha! In what kind of dream world did you grow up in?" He scoffed, an atrabilious smile on his lips. "Only the strong survive."

"I won't let her die, no matter what you say! If you have a problem with my decision, then leave this instance." Sabo let go of the boy and backed away, standing protectively in front of his charge.

"Fine!" He yelled at stood up, stomping out of the hideout. Then he was gone. Guilt was immediately creeping up the blonde's back. Urgh! Why did he just have to be that difficult?! Now he was alone again… Was it really worth it? He glanced at the girl... Of course! How could he think that it wasn't?!

Still, that boy… Perhaps he would get another chance to meet him He should probably apologize for yelling at him. He must have got his reasons to think like that. It wasn't his fault that he was raised that way.

In a leisure pace, he made his way out of the cave. Next time they met, he would make him his friend, for sure!

'Friend… that has a nice ring to it. He will be my first friend!'

A/N: Yo guys. It's been a while. Sorry for the absence, but I haven' been feeling up to writing about One Piece since I got caught up in other fandoms, but I'm back! And editing this fanfiction. Please be patient with me. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

Love, Jay.

Edited: 14th April 2018