A/N: Look who crawled out of the grave after 2 years? THAT'S RIGHT! ME! ehehehe.

There's a bit more of an explanation on my profile. I don't want to get into it that much here, but I'll try. I've been going through a lot these last two years, and my love of writing was snuffed out for a long time. It's coming back though, and I never intend to abandon any of my stories. I don't know how often I can update because of some stuff going on with my life right now, but I am working on my writing every day again and it's making me smile.

Huge thanks to Ascaisil. Without her, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be smiling at all. And huge thanks to her for beta'ing this for me because LOL I need a dumbass filter on my writing. I love you and your babies, Ascaisil. Can't wait to see you again!

I hope you all continue to enjoy this story - obviously there are canon conflicts because this story was conceptualized quite some time ago and we're learning more about the WBP every chapter, but I will both try to comply with, include, and/or outright IGNORE some of those things if needed. Bwahahaha.

Read chapter 962 of the manga? KYAHH. I can't work with that til I know more but it made me happy teehee.

Once again, I prefer certain titles or names to be in Japanese due to translation issues and whatnot. This means Whitebeard is Oyaji (pops/old man), the fruits are in Japanese (like Mera Mera no Mi for Ace's Flare Flare Fruit or whatever it's called in English because I've seen multiple variations) and so forth. I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience to anyone, but it's a preference. Since I had a couple questions, to clarify:

Nagi Nagi no Mi: Calm Calm Fruit (Corazon/Rocinante's)
Ope Ope no Mi: .. was it Op Op? I don't even remember lol (Law's Fruit)

Anyway, enjoy!

Bonds of Sea and Fire

Chapter 28: October 6th

Ace would be lying if he tried to claim he wasn't just a little wary when he saw Marco returning to the ship in Phoenix form - he hadn't even realized Marco had left - with both Lami and Sabo along for the ride. It wasn't that he felt he had some kind of claim to Marco or anything like that… but he knew why Marco had offered to take him flying, and he knew how he was usually feeling when he asked to go. It meant Sabo really had been upset over the sparring matches.

He didn't get up or go over to them, though, remaining where he was on Whitebeard's armrest with Luffy. Whitebeard had just finished telling them a story about a clash with another pirate crew that had lasted almost three days straight, and to say Luffy was excited would be an understatement. In his enthusiastic attempts to re-enact some of the things he was hearing, he'd shot off of the chair multiple times and also managed to punch himself in the back of the head with a wayward recoil. Just about everyone nearby was ready to react in case Luffy shot off again - no one wanted him flying over the railing.

Whitebeard laughed at Luffy's current antics - enthusiastic attempts to punch the air that had him flailing around - before glancing over to Marco. He raised one eyebrow, which had Marco shrugging. Satisfied, Whitebeard turned his attention back to Luffy. "So," he spoke, his voice rumbling with amusement. "You think you would have beaten them all in only two days?"

"Yeah!" Luffy nodded, his straw hat flopping about and his eyes alive with excitement. "And when I'm as big as you, I could do it in one day!"

"Idiot," Ace teased with open affection. "You'll never be as big as Oyaji."

Luffy puffed his cheeks out. "I bet someday, I'm bigger than the whole Moby Dick! I can already get bigger than you!" To prove his point, he placed both hands over his flat belly and began to suck in as much air as possible, expanding into a Luffy-balloon. Ace rolled his eyes, but it was the first time some of their siblings on the Moby Dick had seen it and they couldn't help but comment - both in confusion and possible admiration - on this ability.

"Just how big does he get?" Rakuyo asked, staring in amazement as Luffy struggled to keep from deflating.

"He's pretty much at his limit," Sabo answered, coming to a stop near the chair. "He can only hold his breath for a short time - then he deflates and flies all over the place until he's back to normal."

As if on cue, Luffy lost control, exhaling with a sharp gasp. Before he could go far, Whitebeard reached up and grasped an ankle - rather delicately, in Sabo's opinion - and held him in place as the air escaped.

Ace held his arms out to catch Luffy, setting him back on his feet and smacking him upside the head. "Be more careful, Luffy."

"Hey!" Luffy whined, grabbing the back of his head even though it hadn't actually hurt. He stopped whining and actually paused in rubbing his head when Sabo jumped onto the armrest, looking at his other brother with clear apprehension.

The sight made Sabo's chest tighten, but he pushed it back and grinned, trying to act like nothing had happened. Like he wasn't the cause of the uncertain look on Luffy's face. "Why don't we go get a snack?" he suggested. "Thatch made a lot of meat pies earlier."

Luffy's eyes widened, the uncertainty vanishing in an instant. "Yeah! I want meat pies!" One hand shot forward and grabbed Sabo's shoulder, the rest of him following after a few moments of his arm stretching. Sabo caught him with ease, laughing as Luffy clung to him in excitement. He looked over Luffy's shoulder at Ace, his grin fading a little. "You coming?"

"Sure - Oyaji just finished his story, so we're not doing anything right now," Ace answered diplomatically, flashing a confident grin to let Sabo know he wasn't mad.

Sabo smiled back, obvious relief on his face as he steadied Luffy in his arms so he could carry him without any issues.

"You guys have fun," Lami said, grinning at them - and the light in her eyes had Ace pausing. He hadn't seen her in such high spirits in quite awhile. "I need to get back to the library."

"You sure you don't want company?" Haruta asked, hurrying over.

"I'm sure," Lami promised. "I have a schedule to make. And I need to start researching a few things." She flashed him a bright smile. "After I finish all of that, I could use some help figuring out which kind of sword suits me best."

Haruta stared at her for a moment, and then his entire face lit up with the realization of what she was saying. "Yeah! I'll go with Rakuyo and pick some out for you to try. It won't be the best match, but then we can get something for you next time we go ashore. If they have high quality weapons, anyway. Maybe we could get one forged for y-"

"Relax, lad," Rakuyo interrupted, picking Haruta up by the back of his shirt and tossing him over his shoulder. He seemed to take great delight in Haruta's protesting yelps. "We'll see what we're working with and what the lass prefers before we make any plans."

Haruta settled, draped over Rakuyo's shoulder with a flustered scowl.

"I appreciate it," Lami giggled, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I have a lot to learn." She gave a cheerful wave, then turned and headed off with a skip in her step.

"I told her to get something to eat," Marco sighed, shaking his head. "I'll bring her something before Thatch hears about this - or none of us will hear the end of it, yoi."

"It's good to see her in high spirits again," Rakuyo commented, nodding to Whitebeard before hauling Haruta inside as well. "You kids are going to give us gray hairs, you know that?"

Haruta huffed. "I'm not a kid, you know. I'm going to be fifteen soon - I'm almost a man."

Rakuyo laughed, nearly dropping Haruta as he struggled not to double over. "Yeah, that's 'almost a man', for sure!" he chortled, making Haruta pout.

"It's not funny!" Haruta complained, flailing to make it even harder for Rakuyo to keep manhandling him. As always, Rakuyo easily handled Haruta's antics.

"Someday, you'll understand just how funny it is," Rakuyo chuckled, nodding to every crew member they passed - and every single one of them just grinned at Haruta's flailing, offering absolutely no help at all.

...

"Are you mad?"

Sabo blinked. The question had come out of nowhere as far as he was concerned. Dinner had been loud and fun, serving to break any remaining tension from their earlier argument - at least, Sabo thought it had. He paused climbing into bed, instead looking up to see Ace struggling with Luffy's limp, rubbery body. It was par for the course - any time Luffy fell asleep from overeating at dinner, getting him into his top bunk could prove to be an adventure. He lost all control of his body's elasticity and often stretched rather than being lifted.

There were times where Sabo and Ace both agreed to just roll him into the bottom bunk together rather than waste the energy trying to get him up the ladder, but Sabo hadn't even noticed what Ace was doing. He'd been too caught up in his own thoughts.

Ace didn't seem to be having any real trouble, though, and after a moment of watching him tug on Luffy's upper body - successfully wrestling it onto the mattress - Sabo remembered to answer.

"Do I seem mad?" Sabo couldn't help but ask. His tone was purely honest - he had no idea if any lingering feelings might have influenced his actions or choice of words to make Ace think he was upset with him. It was an easy misunderstanding, especially with Ace's tendency to lean towards self-deprecation.

"No. I mean, no, you aren't obviously mad or anything," Ace mumbled, grunting once he finally had Luffy situated. He tucked Luffy in despite the fact that he was sprawled in a way that would never allow for him to be completely tucked in, then straightened to look down at Sabo. "But you were definitely mad earlier. I didn't want you to think you had to shove it aside for our sakes or hide it or anything."

"Ah," Sabo shrugged, glancing over at his pillow. He couldn't deny that he'd been mad earlier, but he didn't know exactly how to phrase it to convey his point. After a moment, he looked back up. "I was mad, but it I wasn't mad at you or Luffy or anything like that. And I'm fine now - I mean it." He grinned. "Sorry for worrying you."

Ace studied him for a few moments, gauging his sincerity, then grinned back. "It's my job to worry. We're brothers." He jumped down from the top bunk and fell back onto Sabo's bed, feet dangling. "So, did you and Lami have fun with Phoenix-Marco?"

"He's surprisingly agile," Sabo joked, plopping down next to him. "I can see why you like going flying so much."

"Marco's also a really good listener," Ace added.

Sabo nodded in agreement. "Lami and I both had some stuff to get off our chests. It's fine now, though."

"That's good," Ace murmured, staring up at the bottom of his own bunk. "Haruta's really worried about both of you."

"Probably more about Lami than me," Sabo joked with a smile. "I'll let him know I'm fine tomorrow."

When Ace didn't respond, Sabo looked over, half-sitting up. His jaw dropped just a touch when he realized Ace had fallen asleep - just like Luffy often did after a meal - without any warning. He grinned again, expression soft.

"Jeez," he murmured, grabbing the blanket and draping it over both of them before laying back down. "You sure you and Luffy aren't related by blood?" He joked aloud.

He didn't get an answer - not that he'd expected or wanted one. Ace and Luffy were snoring in unison, and rather than make it difficult to fall asleep, the sound was rather soothing. In mere moments, Sabo had drifted off to sleep with a silent promise to himself that he would try harder.

...

Breakfast the next morning was quiet. Sleepy pirates grumbled into their plates, and more than half a dozen tables contained pirates who'd never made it back to their own rooms after a "friendly" drinking competition had gotten serious in the wee hours of the morning. Those with the worst hangovers would whine and moan if the overall volume in the room got too high.

Luffy tried to quiet down once Izo explained it to him. He really did. But every time someone new entered the room, he wound up shouting a greeting. Still, no one could really be mad at Luffy - especially because after each time, he would follow it with an "oops" and a request to the hungover pirates to pretend it hadn't happened.

"Really, it's their own fault," Izo eventually sighed. "One, they knew the consequences of drinking too much. Two, they didn't go back to their rooms - and three, everyone knows better than to challenge Bay to a drinking contest."

Lami automatically tensed at the sound of her mentor's name. They hadn't seen or spoken to each other since their exchange in the infirmary. It wasn't like she'd taken it personally or anything, but it was a knee-jerk reaction.

"Does anyone ever win when that happens?" Thatch joked, setting a plate of fancy crepes in front of Izo and taking a seat.

"They're both in the infirmary," Izo informed Thatch with a gracious smile. "And no, neither of them can be called a 'winner' after last night."

At Lami's inquisitive glance - she'd actually looked up from her book - Sabo grinned.

"Bay and Vista," he clarified.

"What happened?" Lami asked.

"The drinking contest. They do this all the time," Haruta answered. "They can both hold way more alcohol than anyone else, but everyone still tries to prove something and winds up getting sucked in."

"I see," Lami answered, looking thoughtful. "I went to bed early last night, so I had no idea."

"Don't worry about them," Thatch assured her with a grin. "They'll be fine. Moody and arguing over who won, but still fine."

Lami nodded. "I'm not particularly worried. I do need to talk to Bay, though."

"She'll be ready to talk once she drinks my ultra-super-strength-special blend of coffee," Thatch promised with a wink. "If she ever drags herself out of bed, anyway."

Lami nodded again and looked to the boys. "When will you be sparring?"

"Not until later," Sabo answered. "We have some cleanup and maintenance duties first thing."

"Are you joining us?" Haruta couldn't help but ask with a hopeful smile.

"Yes," Lami answered, smiling back. "I won't be sparring, though. I have a lot to learn before I'm ready for that."

That got everyone's attention. "Oh?" Izo asked.

"I can't jump headfirst into it again. I understand that now. But I'm not giving up, either. It's not in my nature."

Thatch gave a broad grin. "We'll help however we can, Lami-chan."

"Agreed," Izo added with a warm smile of his own. "You have amazing potential, Lami. It was never anyone's intention to dissuade you from doing something difficult - you'll forgive us all for being a little protective of our youngest sister, won't you?"

Lami's cheeks colored. It was still a little odd - not at all unwelcome - and it filled her warmth every time anyone referred to her as their sister. "I was acting spoiled. I know that now."

"Everyone is entitled to be a little spoiled from time to time," Thatch chuckled.

"I mean, just look at Luffy," Ace teased.

Luffy looked up at the sound of his name, cheeks inflated with various breakfast meats.

"Seriously," Haruta laughed. "Luffy is the most spoiled out of all of us, and we adore him!"

"Do we?" Sabo teased, poking one full cheek.

"I guess we do," Ace relented with an over-dramatic sigh.

Lami giggled, closing the book she'd been reading. "Thanks, everyone."

"Anytime," Haruta answered, expression soft. Luffy was distracted with trying to jump on Ace in a hug as Lami stood. "Do you want some company?"

"No - I need to get some things from my room and then go talk to Bay if she's up. But thank you," Lami declined with a warm look in his direction. "I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?"

"Yeah," Sabo answered since Ace had effectively gotten tackled and smothered, and Haruta seemed a little flustered . "We'll be training eventually, and you can always study while you're waiting if you beat us there."

Lami nodded, heading off with a wave, her books clutched to her chest.

"Is she really okay?" Ace asked once he'd gotten back into his seat, arms full of Luffy and all of the nearby plates empty.

"Yeah," Sabo confirmed. "She's just going to be really busy from now on."

"Can we help her be less busy?" Luffy asked around a mouthful of food.

"Probably not," Thatch answered. "But you can still find ways to help her with things."

Haruta nodded. "But right now, we should probably finish eating."

"Yep! Make sure you eat enough to last all morning!" Thatch encouraged. "Well, Luffy already has, but the rest of you need to remember to get enough!"

Haruta gave a sheepish grin. Luffy had eaten most of the food on his plate, but he'd been distracted with watching Lami study and hadn't bothered to refill. "Okay, okay. I'll go get more."

"Me, too," Sabo decided, standing up.

Ace watched them head off together, then grinned at Thatch. "You gonna be here all day again?"

"Nah, my division's going to be scouting for half the day. Don't worry, though - not all of us are going and food will still be served, of course."

"Are you gonna have an adventure?" Luffy wondered with starry eyes.

Thatch threw his head back and laughed, which had every hungover pirate at the nearby tables groaning. "Nah," he chuckled, trying to lower his voice in response. "Just boring stuff."

"Oh," Luffy considered this, then frowned. "You should have an adventure instead."

"He can't do that. Everyone is counting on him," Ace cut in. "If he went off to have an adventure instead of scouting and someone got hurt here, he'd feel bad."

Luffy considered this new information, then nodded. "Okay. I mean, no one will get hurt because I'm here, of course, but just in case…"

"Yeah, yeah," Ace tousled his hair. "Just in case."

Thatch grinned down at them. everyone had noticed the way Ace had been handling Luffy lately - he and Sabo seemed to be the perfect team, but Ace had still seemed to struggle with his patience until recently. It was incredibly endearing and if Thatch stared at them for too long, someone had to elbow him to snap him out of it. He just adored his little brothers.

Luffy wound up eating another serving when Sabo and Haruta returned, but despite his body inflating for a little while, he was able to jump up and head off with his brothers when the time came.

"Still fascinating," Thatch joked, seeing Luffy's body snap back to normal near the doors.

"It's metabolism. How fascinating can it be?" Izo asked.

"It's not just the metabolism," Thatch argued. "It's how he breaks down his meals and converts food into energy at will, and how his Devil Fruit both demands and utilizes the food. I'm going to need to make sure I don't overload him on certain foods that might make him sluggish, or under-feed him in any way - Bay's been giving nutrition advice, but I already know basic nutrition-"

"Thatch, breathe," Izo interrupted with an affectionate and exasperated smile. "You've already been doing a wonderful job with him."

Thatch grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's just so awesome, you know? I never thought we'd ever have such young brothers and sisters. I want to make sure we raise them right!"

"And here I thought Marco was the mother hen," Izo chuckled. "I just hope Oyaji doesn't make a habit of this. These five are an exception... but the New World is no place for kids to learn how to be pirates."

...

Lami hesitated outside the medical staff's quarters, slowing her approach. It wasn't like she'd expected it to be empty; the staff was large enough that people were often coming and going at all hours. The only reason she'd thought it might be empty was that the majority had already been spotted at breakfast or in the infirmary tending to the hungover pirates that weren't sleeping it off in the galley.

She debated skipping the trip to her room - simply turning to leave and putting her books back later - but the longer she thought about it, the sillier it seemed. The Moby Dick was her home, and there was no reason to feel like a stranger. Feeling like she shouldn't intrude, should come back when no one was there, trying to knock on the doors to the living quarters - all of it meant she didn't feel like she was at home, didn't it?

Still, her movements were hesitant as open the door and hugged her books a little tighter to her chest. She'd barely started towards her cot when she saw them, freezing on instinct as it registered just what she was seeing.

They hadn't noticed her arrival yet. Vere had her eyes closed, head tilted back while Chloris kissed her throat. One of Chloris' hands was sliding along the edge of Vere's thigh-high stockings, pushing the hem of her skirt and revealing her full tattoo. Vere's hands clutched the back of Chloris' uniform, a soft sigh of Chloris' name escaping in a breathless whisper - and Lami's cheeks flooded with heat at the full realization of what she was now spying on sank in.

"I'm sorry!" she yelped, startling both women and causing Chloris to bite Vere's neck.

"Ouch!" Vere squeaked, yanking back and nearly falling off the desk she'd been half-sitting, half-leaning back on.

"Sorry - shit, are you bleeding?" Chloris asked, ignoring Lami for the moment.

"I don't think so," Vere answered, cheeks burning as she reached up to cover the red mark on her neck. "Get your hand off my thigh!"

Chloris sighed and pulled back, standing up and straightening her own uniform. She turned to Lami with a frown. "Was it necessary to be so dramatic about it?"

"Don't scold Lami-chan!" Vere admonished, tugging her skirt back into place. "We probably startled her!"

"Is it really that shocking?" Chloris dryly retorted, brushing the admonishing tone aside.

Before Vere could respond, Lami shook her head, quickly stepping forward. "No! I mean, I was startled, but I shouldn't have exclaimed like that!"

Chloris crossed her arms over her chest, raising one eyebrow.

"I didn't mean to stare," Lami blurted out when neither of them spoke, flustered. "It just took me a few moments to realize what I was seeing, and then I was being rude by staring, and I thought I should quickly apologize, so-"

Chloris' abrupt laughter cut her off, and she stood there, unsure of how to respond. Even Vere had a grin on her face as Chloris practically doubled over.

"Oh hun. Don't worry about it," Chloris chuckled, straightening back up. "We did get a little carried away, anyway."

Lami returned their smiles with a shy one of her own, stepping a little closer and then heading for her desk to put her books down. "I'll only be a minute if you want to continue after I leave."

"Oh, now look what you did," Vere scolded, lightly shoving Chloris' shoulder and then combing her fingers through her long black hair, trying to untangle the wavy locks.

"What I did? You started it," Chloris laughed, turning and swatting Vere's rear, which had the other nurse yelping and shoving at her again.

"Anyway," Vere grumbled, "you don't have to go. It's not like we'll pounce on each other the second you do."

"Well, I really am only stopping by to set my books down. I need to go talk to Bay," Lami admitted.

"Ooh," Chloris grimaced. "Good luck with that. She's in a super bitc-"

Vere elbowed her and she grinned sheepishly.

"-snarky mood," Chloris corrected.

"Thanks for the warning - Thatch and Izo already clued me in. Oh, and you don't need to worry about censoring yourselves for my sake," Lami answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, it's cute that Vere wants me to," Chloris joked. "Kingdew gets cranky if we curse in front of you kids, too. Not to mention what Bay would do to me if she heard."

"It's really for her own good," Vere sighed. "Even if Bay curses more than any sailor on this ship sometimes."

Lami finished tucking her books away into the small shelf she'd already over-filled, then studied the two women for a few moments. They'd gone back to bantering - obviously flirting. "Is it a secret?" she blurted out, unable to help it.

Both Chloris and Vere paused, regarding her curiously. "Us?" Chloris finally asked.

Lami nodded.

"Nah. We try to be discreet, but we're not hiding," Chloris answered, wrapping an arm around Vere's waist. Her tone was curious, despite being the one to answer the question.

"Okay. I didn't know if you'd be bothered if anyone found out," Lami continued with a shy smile. "Not that I intended to tell anyone or anything - I just didn't know if you'd be upset by me seeing it."

"Aw. You're a sweet kid," Chloris grinned. "Word of advice - when you see Bay, tell her she looks like shit."

Lami's eyebrows went up. "Won't she get mad?"

"Nah. Better than our brothers, who try to tell her she looks gorgeous when she's hungover."

Lami pondered that info, then nodded. "Okay. Thanks for telling me."

"Anytime, hon," Chloris murmured with a grin.

Lami smiled back, then squared her shoulders and headed from the room, seeking out Bay in the actual infirmary. She didn't have to search - Bay was sitting at her desk with a gloomy scowl, dark circles under her eyes and her hair in a tangled ponytail that appeared to be slightly lopsided.

"Wow," Lami commented before she could help it, coming to a stop in front of the desk, "you do look awful."

Bay stared at her, then snorted, an amused smirk curving her lips. "You're not wrong. So, what brings you here? Can't be the company."

"No, it's not," Lami agreed, fidgeting. She hesitated under Bay's shrewd gaze, then squared her shoulders again, feeling like she'd lost a lot of her confidence on the walk from her desk to Bay's. "You were right about everything-"

"Damn straight I was."

"-but I'm not giving up medicine or the sword. Please continue to teach me. I'm going to work really hard!" Lami insisted, bracing herself for Bay's reply.

Bay raised an eyebrow, taking in the obvious tension and anxiety in Lami's posture - from the clenched fists to the way she practically held her breath - and a slow smirk curved her lips.

"This is what I've been waiting for. Buckle up, kiddo. Your life is about to become hell."

...

"C'mon! You've been sitting there all night!"

"I have not," Sabo chuckled, taking Luffy's whining in stride.

"You have too! I counted!"

"How do you count 'night'?" Ace retorted, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm sure he counted something," Sabo teased, pausing what he was doing to glance over his shoulder, grinning at them. "Just a little bit longer and then we can go raid the kitchen."

Luffy cheered, throwing both hands in the air and nearly smacking Ace right in the mouth.

"Watch it," Ace scolded, grabbing one of Luffy's wrists and giving it a shake. "You almost smacked me!"

"Sorry, sorry," Luffy apologized, grinning. "Has it been a little bit longer yet?"

"Luffy!" Ace sighed in exasperation, ready to start scolding him - only to look up as Sabo closed the journal and jumped up, grinning and cutting off any lecture before it could start.

"Yep! Let's go raid Rakuyo's stash," Sabo decided. "He has a lot of stuff in the kitchen right now."

"Kay!" Luffy chirped.

"Hey, Sabo? Did you ever notice that Oyaji never has a stash?" Ace asked as they headed from the room.

Sabo shrugged. "I assume he uses his share for liquor and then drinks it all instead of stashing it."

Ace considered that, then nodded. "Fair enough. I mean, Thatch hides his, so who knows."

"And we spend our shares every time we go ashore, so we don't have much to 'stash'," Sabo joked, motioning to Luffy.

"We can't stash meat. Someone would take it!" Luffy argued.

Ace snorted - but then, if they weren't raiding a personal stash, they'd be raiding the Fourth Division stockpile provisions meant for the entire crew. Well, they were technically part of the crew, so it evened out. Sort of.

...

"October Sixth," Lami announced, dropping a large medical text on th table. The sudden thud made almost everyone jump - except Luffy, of course, who happy continued to devour his breakfast. Every adult at the table resumed grumbling into their coffees a moment later, the varying degrees of pain on their faces showing the severity of their hangovers.

"Too early for guessing games, Lass," Rakuyo complained. "Especially since some of us had half our stashes pilfered last night."

"We did not talk half. We barely took a thir-"

Ace shoved half a stack of pancakes right into Luffy's open mouth, cutting him off.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Ace corrected with an innocent smile that had Rakuyo rolling his eyes and instantly forgiving them at the same time.

"Ignore Rakuyo," Haruta added with a friendly smile at Lami. He was relieved to see her joining them for breakfast. She'd seemed so exhausted the day before. "He's a little hungover anyway."

"Isn't everyone, always?" Lami joked, taking her seat with a smile and opening her book. "I didn't hear the voice again," she continued without breaking conversational stride. "I did remember something, though. Something tangible."

"You did?" Haruta asked, eyes widening.

"The mystery voice?" Luffy piped up, wanting to contribute. Most of the ship knew bits and pieces about Lami's quirks - her unique amnesia and a voice she claimed to hear while studying medicine - but only the people who spent the most time around her knew the exact details.

Lami nodded, eyes bright. "A birthday cake. I saw a birthday cake and the calendar said October Sixth. I've decided that's the day I'll celebrate my birthday."

"Do you think it was your birthday?" Sabo asked.

"I can't know that for sure, but it's the closest thing I've got," Lami answered with a beaming smile. "And it's the first tangible memory I've experienced. I saw it last night while I was reading through this book on the endocrine system right before I fell asleep. I needed the sleep, too… I had a really bad headache."

Rakuyo placed a hand on the back of her head with a wide smile, hiding his concern for her headache. "I'll make sure Thatch knows to include your birthday in our October celebrations."

"This is a big deal," Haruta agreed with obvious excitement. "Not as big as calling the old man 'Oyaji' or getting your tattoo, but it's still a big deal."

"Down, Haruta," Marco teased, making his way over. "Lami, Bay was looking for you. She said you have ten minutes to eat before she expects you in the infirmary."

Lami huffed. "I better eat fast - ten minutes in Bay-speak means ten minutes ago."

Marco chuckled. "You're not wrong."

"You're training with Bay again?" Haruta asked.

Lami nodded accepting a biscuit from Rakuyo and nearly swallowing it whole. "Physically and mentally. I told you I wasn't going to compromise. I won't have much free time for awhile, but I'll definitely come see you guys when I do." She grabbed a few handfuls of assorted biscuits and pastries, stacking them on a plate, then stacking that plate on her book before dashing off.

Ace had to grab Luffy's stretching arm to keep him from sneaking anything off the retreating plate.

"And there goes half my breakfast," Rakuyo sighed. "She took my steak and cheese bagel. Thatch better have more…" Grumbling, he got up to get another plate, abandoning the rest of his food to Luffy.

"He grumbles, but I think he's flattered she stole his food," Haruta joked.

"He thinks it means she likes him most," Namur confirmed, taking Rakuyo's seat for himself. "He and Thatch argued about it for like an hour the other night."

"By their logic, everyone is Luffy's favorite," Sabo pointed out.

"A lot of our brothers are idiots," Namur reminded him.

"Well, as long as they're happy," Sabo chuckled.

Namur grinned. "Lami's t-shirt had Oyaji's mark on the back."

Ace rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah… I decided that's definitely where I'm getting mine. Lami's still deciding. So she's borrowing some of our shirts to see if any of them have the mark in a place that looks 'right'."

"I thought it looked like one of your shirts," Sabo realized.

"I still think you should get a face-"

"No," Ace, Sabo, and Haruta all answered in unison, cutting Luffy off and making him huff.

"So," Namur interrupted before Luffy could argue the merits of face tattoos to his brothers, "what are you kids up to today, anyway?"

"Cleaning, inventory, then sparring and training," Ace answered. "I have a few lessons with Marco on haki again before I spar with my brothers."

"I have some grunt work for Fossa's division," Haruta added with a sigh. "Then a private lesson with Vista before I get to spar."

"When do we get private fighting lessons?" Ace teased.

"You already have lessons on haki and Devil Fruit control with Marco," Sabo reminded him.

"Yeah, but that's not the same thing," Ace pointed out. "Those are lessons, not fighting."

"Don't be so eager to get your ass handed to you, yoi," Marco teased him. "Haruta isn't trying to spar - he's getting fencing lessons. If he tried to attack Vista he'd wake up to Bay teaching Lami how to set broken bones."

Haruta shuddered, a look of pure doom on his face. "He's not wrong."

Ace scowled. "How long before we get something more advanced, then? That stupid old man had no problems beating our asses to teach us how to fight."

"In all fairness to Marco's point - that's exactly the point, Ace," Sabo muttered, shuddering. "Did anything your grandpa ever do ever constitute teaching us to fight? I remember running for my life. And screaming."

Ace winced. "Okay. Bad example. He's insane."

"Your grandpa was beating you up?" Haruta asked, a dark look coming over his face. It was a look mirrored by just about everyone in earshot.

"He thought of it as 'training', but yeah. Pretty much," Ace griped. "At least now I could set him on fire. Man, I'd love to see the look on his dumb old face…"

"You know, that probably wouldn't work," Sabo pointed out. "He probably uses haki."

"Seriously?" Ace stared. "What makes you say that?"

"When he hit us all, it hurt - all of us," Sabo pointed out. "Even Luffy."

"Oh, damn it, you're right - those punches hurt Luffy too," Ace realized. "And he's rubber. I probably couldn't dodge him with fire. Stupid Jiji."

Luffy rubbed his head, as if just thinking about it made it hurt. "At least he never threw you down a bottomless avine, or left you in the jungle all alone!" he whined.

Sabo sensed the sudden atmosphere shift - saw the looks on the faces in the galley - and realized how dark the conversation had gotten. It was par for the course in their old life, but the others were getting protective.

"Didn't Ace do those things to you when you met him?" Sabo joked, trying to lighten the mood a little. He didn't want any of his new family running off to pick a fight after all. No one needed that clash.

"Not… really," Ace mumbled, cheeks darkening with embarrassment. "Besides! He was the one trying to follow me! I told him to go away!"

Luffy tilted his head to the side, then grinned and launched himself at Ace with no warning, tackling him off the bench and onto the floor several tables away.

"Oi!" Ace protested, coughing and sitting up to find Luffy wound around his upper body multiple times. "What was that for?!"

"I can keep up with you now!" Luffy cried triumphantly, flashing a bright grin up at Ace.

"Idiot!" Ace chastised, sighing and putting a hand on his head. "I'm not trying to leave you behind, or tell you to go away!"

"Oh, yeah!" Luffy realized, brightening even more and unwrapping himself. "C'mon, let's go get more food!" He grabbed Ace's hand, tugging him back towards the seemingly endless buffet of food meant to feed the entire crew, and Ace followed, knowing if he let Luffy at it without supervision, he could probably devour all of it by himself. All the while, he did his best not to blush or make eye contact with any of the smiling onlookers.

...

Lami jerked in her chair, drawing in a sharp breath.

"Don't tell me you're already zoning out on my lessons," Bay warned, her voice pitching low. "I have Marco wasting his time and his fancy fire on some minor hangover shit right now to help cover for my extra time with you today."

Lami's eyes flickered to Bay, having been fixed on some point past her at the wall.

"No, that's not it at all," Lami promised, shaking her head. "It's just…" she hesitated, almost positive Bay was going to snap at her, but Bay had leaned forward and was listening patiently, expression serious. "Well, when you were asking me about the central nervous system, I briefly thought about an incorrect answer - I mean, I faltered because I wasn't sure - and when I settled on the wrong answer, I heard the voice again. It corrected me."

Bay considered this, then nodded. "So he was teaching you, or learning alongside you?"

"Both, maybe," Lami trailed off for a moment, looking down at her open book. "The voice isn't much older, I mean, it doesn't sound like an adult's voice for sure." She fidgeted. "I don't know what makes me hear it specifically… but I know it went away while I was being stubborn."

"Well, if you're trying to reclaim a piece of your past, don't let me stop you. Just don't let it get in your way or hold you back," Bay reasoned.

Lami nodded. "Understood!" Then she paused, as some of Bay's earlier words registered. "Fancy fire?"

"If the medical staff is all down, Marco can step in. He can use his flames to heal. Not a lot, but enough to help. Phoenix stuff. He's not always comfortable doing it, so no one pushes unless it's an emergency right now," Bay answered. "If I leave the ship with a successor, he'll become the ship's primary doctor."

"Oh," Lami considered this, then nodded. "I see. Ne… Bay? What do you think of Devil Fruits? Not just the users, but their capabilities and interpretations? I wasn't surprised when I found out Marco was able to heal himself with his phoenix fire, but to hear he can heal others is something I hadn't considered. And with Luffy and his elasticity, he's always coming up with new ideas, but it also changes his metabolism and the way he heals. Like how he doesn't need stitches for cuts to mend without scars…" she trailed off in her rambling, then took a breath.

Bay studied her for a few moments, then leaned forward. "Your idea with the topical anesthetic worked on Ace -a nd a few other babies who don't like needles. Haruta mentioned you wanted to study all types of fruits to know what to heal and what to look out for in terms of damage that could be done and care that might be needed." She watched Lami's expression. "He also said there was a specific fruit you had in mind for you."

Lami blushed, ducking her head. She couldn't maintain eye contact at the sudden focus on her. "Sort of. A few interested me."

"I was surprised the Ope Ope no Mi didn't come up," Bay admitted.

"I researched it, but I heard rumors it was already in use - rather, it surfaced recently in North Blue."

"If the user dies, the fruit pops back up," Bay nonchalantly commented, still watching Lami's face.

"Yeah… but ending someone's life should never be in the pursuit of personal gain," Lami murmured. "The idea is abhorrent to me."

"There are other healing-themed fruits," Bay added.

"I know… but my medical knowledge is a skill that I intend to grow - not something I can dismiss for a quicker solution," Lami reasoned, looking back up. "That's why I like the idea of the Nagi Nagi no Mi. With my interpretation and mastering of it, I really think it could compliment my abilities and ambitions."

"Well, if it's the one you want, that makes it more useful than any other," Bay advised with a shrug. "If you're looking for my approval on you becoming a Devil Fruit user - that's not something you need. It's up to you."

Lami fidgeted again, nodding. "The others said I could ask Oyaji about getting it, but I'm still not sure," Lami admitted. "I want to earn it… but I'm not sure how."

"Up to you, really. If he can get it for you, he will. If not, he won't. If we pick it up on a raid, whoever found it first gets dibs to eat or sell it," Bay explained. "So if more people know you want a specific one, then it's less likely to get sold off for booze funds."

Lami nodded in understanding. "I'll consider that. Thank you."

"If that's all, we were in the middle of a lesson."

"Yes, ma'am!"

...

"Lessons in haki?"

"Yeah - you can do it too, right?" Sabo swung his legs over the edge of the counter, looking up at Thatch. "You use scimitars when you fight sometimes, but if you're one of the Commanders, you have to have a mastery of it, yeah? Well… I want you to teach me. I already know about the different kinds, but I want to be able to apply them to my fighting style," Sabo looked to the pipe in his hands. "I want to be strong enough to block a sword with a flimsy pipe I picked up off the ground and stop the blade with my strength. Not rely on a crafted weapon I got from the crew."

Thatch leaned on the counter and studied him, expression serious. "I totally understand, Sabo… but why ask me? Why not ask Marco, or Vista?"

"They're both focused on Ace and Haruta," Sabo explained. "It's not that I don't think they can do more, or that you're my third choice - I just think you understand better why I'm asking."

Thatch considered his words, then nodded. "Thirty-nine to eleven has to sting a little when you're used to being evenly matched."

"Yeah. And when we took that break for Ace to get some control, where he was only fighting against Marco… I wasn't working as hard as I should have. I blamed it on others and made excuses. I don't want to do that anymore." Sabo held his gaze.

"What's the main reason?" Thatch asked, and the uncharacteristically serious look was still on his face.

"A few things. I don't want to be left behind. I don't want to take my new freedom for granted. I don't want to make anyone else pick up slack I didn't know I was dropping. Most importantly… my two biggest reasons…" Sabo trailed off for a moment, his expression fierce. "I have a dream I shared with my brothers before we left Dawn Island. Ace's dream probably changed, but me and Luffy… well, mine was to see the whole world. To be uncaged, so I could see the world with my own eyes and write a book about everything I saw."

Thatch's smile was sappy and understanding. "And the second reason?"

"Ace and Luffy still need me," Sabo answered, some of the fierceness leaving his expression as he grinned. "I need to be someone they can rely on to always have their backs."

Thatch's smile split into a wide grin, almost worthy of Luffy himself.

"You, my dapper little brother, have got yourself a teacher."

"Yes, and how fortunate we are to have such an obedient assistant like Thatch," Izo's voice made Sabo jump - and Thatch nearly tripped over himself in his haste to straighten to find the source.

"He asked me!" Thatch complained once he saw Izo step into view, pouting.

"Yes, and you're hopeless. So I will graciously step in and offer my services," Izo reasoned, turning to Sabo. "If you want."

"I'd be insane to turn down the help," Sabo answered with a cheeky grin. "With both of you to guide me, I'll get stronger twice as fast!"

Izo smiled, and even Thatch was able to set aside his wounded pride to beam at Sabo's enthusiasm.

"You're sparring later today, right?" Izo asked.

"Yeah, in a couple hours," Sabo answered. "Once Ace finishes up his defense and haki training, and Luffy gets done causing chaos.

"Now that you're aware of the problem, see how you do today," Izo decided. "Gauge the gap between you and Ace with a clear head, and then we'll work on closing it. We can work these lessons into your schedule after that."

Sabo nodded, determination in his gaze. "Thanks Izo, Thatch - I won't let either of you down. I won't let Ace, Luffy, or myself down, either."

"Of course you won't," Izo chuckled. "It's not in your nature. Now go have fun while you still have free time, and steer clear of Blamenco. He's in a sore mood for some reason today."

"Thanks for the advice!" Sabo hopped down off the counter, tipped his hat, and then dashed off.

"I thought you hated teaching," Thatch commented once he'd gone, looking at Izo.

Izo shrugged. "I do, for the most part, but those kids… well, you know how it is. Try refusing them anything. It's damn near impossible. Out of all of them, though, Sabo is the one I'd have the easiest time teaching, I'm sure."

Thatch grinned at him. "Are you sure? You handle me pretty easily, and everyone compares me to Luffy."

Izo withdrew a fan from his sleeve, then smacked Thatch with it - lightly, but still hard enough to make Thatch laugh and hold his hands up in a placating manner.

"I'm glad you're going to help me, though," Thatch admitted. "I'm sure of my skills, and if he wanted me to help him cook? No contest. But combat…" he sighed. "He knows the basics and the concept already. Helping him apply it…"

"You can't swing your sword at Sabo with intent to harm him," Izo finished. "I know."

"I could fake it enough in a normal sparring match, but if he's trying to learn haki from me, he won't be able to. Not if my intent isn't to try and hit him," Thatch sighed. He offered a sheepish grin at Izo. "My greatest weakness."

"Hardly a weakness that you can't strike at one of our youngest brothers with intent to cause harm," Izo pointed out, shaking his head. "More of a weakness that it's most children you can't aim at - considering some of the 'children' you can encounter in the seas we sail. Some of them aren't even really children."

"Well, better safe than sorry," Thatch sighed. "Forgive me?"

"I always do," Izo gave a loud, dramatic sigh. "In any case, you will show him the application of each technique, as well as demonstrations - Sabo learns better by example. When it comes to giving Sabo someone to practice with, I will be the one to take aim, and you will coach him. You know my fighting style better than anyone, after all."

"Of course. I know everything about you," Thatch teased.

Izo watched him turn to start prepping some vegetables for dinner - potatoes or some other root vegetable that didn't really matter to Izo unless Thatch started talking about it - and he smiled. No matter how many times Thatch made such a claim, he never had the heart to correct it.

...

Sabo plopped down in the library, startling Lami out of her sleep with a grin. She'd been sleeping with her face pillowed on a book that quite frankly creeped Haruta out, not that he wanted to admit it. One of the pages stuck to her cheek as she sat up, looking around in confusion. The vivid images of a dissected human body with all of the labels made Haruta squirm.

"What time is it?" Lami asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Dinner," Haruta answered. "Have you been in the library since you left our sparring matches?"

"Yeah," Lami yawned into her hand and closed the book, rubbing her cheek. "Shoot… I fell asleep? I don't even remember… how'd the rest of the matches go?"

"Luffy lost them all again, but we let them take an extra twenty-five matches against Haruta," Sabo answered. "I lost to Ace, thirty-three to seventeen." He grinned. "Almost thirty-two to eighteen but I got cocky and he slammed me good in that last one. You shoulda seen it."

"I intended to come back," Lami admitted. She huffed. "I'll definitely make it back next time."

"Well, for now let's go to dinner," Haruta reasoned. "Or Thatch'll hunt us all down and carry us in like sacks of potatoes."

Lami grinned sheepishly and pushed herself up. "Well, I'm not fond of being hauled around like a sack of potatoes, so I guess we should go."

"It's not so bad," Haruta teased. "It's kind of a novelty for some of them, being so much bigger, and us being so small."

"I don't mind when Vista or Rakuyo puts me on their shoulders," Lami relented as they headed away from the table. "But I've seen Thatch grab you and toss you over his shoulder, Haruta…"

"Yeah, it's pretty unflattering, isn't it?" Haruta laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thatch is such a big kid sometimes."

"It's refreshing," Sabo commented, folding both hands behind his head while they walked. "Some of the adults seem so serious."

"Which is why we prank them," Haruta added.

"Is that the official reason now?" Lami teased.

"Heeeeey," Haruta grinned, eyes lighting up. "That's a perfect excuse! Thanks, Lami!"

Lami started to laugh. "I wasn't - oh, nevermind. By the way, Sabo, you don't have to worry about paying me back."

"I know, but I will anyway," Sabo insisted.

"Paying you back?" Haruta echoed.

"I borrowed some of her stationary," Sabo explained. "I need to get some things when we go ashore next time, but I wanted to send a letter today. I had Vista help me with it - I just didn't want to tear a page out of my journal or anything and Lami offered me some of hers."

"It's just stationary," Lami murmured, sheepish.

"I plan to use a lot of stuff like that, though, so I may as well replace what she gave me this time," Sabo reasoned. "Plus I don't know when we're docking again, so I might need to send another letter before I get new supplies."

"Well, I appreciate it," Lami answered. She smiled. "I have a few things to pick up, myself. Do you guys want to make a trip of it? The four of us, I mean."

"I think Luffy would like that - but we'll have to get Ace to wrangle him if we want to get anything productive done," Sabo joked.

"Ace and I will make the perfect team of Luffy-wranglers," Haruta promised, puffing up his chest.

"You say that now…" Lami trailed off.

"If we both hold onto him, he can't get far," Haruta reasoned, looking proud of himself. "So at least if he wanders off, we have him on a leash. Kind of."

"Until his rubbery little hand slips right out of yours or the recoil slams into you like a train and he ricochets into the sunset," Sabo countered with a teasing grin.

"I'm getting better at bracing myself - and tracking him when he ricochets," Haruta boasted.

"Well, either way it sounds like fun," Lami cut in with a smile. "So, Sabo, you plan to write a lot of letters home now?"

"Yeah, I was thinking it might not be a bad idea. I have my journal, but that's more for my introspective thoughts. The letters home can chronicle our adventures and progress. And I want Dadan and the others to know how we're doing," Sabo answered.

"I thought you were worried about your guys' grandpa finding you?" Haruta asked, looking down at Sabo in concern.

"I'm not worried about him reading the letters. He's not gonna be there when Dadan gets them most of the time, and even if he is, Dadan won't sell us out."

"Well, even if he does find out, it's not like he can do anything about it," Haruta said with a shrug. "It's not like he can go after Oyaji and try to drag you back."

"I dunno, Haruta… you'd be surprised. That old man is insane," Sabo shuddered. "I know everyone gets this dark look on their faces when we talk about him, but he does care. I think. And he's not actually trying to kill us. I think. But… he would absolutely not be worried about starting a fight with Oyaji. The scary part? I don't know how that fight would end. The old bastard is tough."

"Yeah, but Oyaji is - he's Oyaji," Haruta argued. "He's the strongest pirate on the sea! The strongest man in the world!"

"Then let's hope they never clash," Sabo muttered. "Dadan hates him so he wouldn't be hanging around her place, and that's where I'm sending all my letters. She'll make sure Makino-san gets to see them, too."

"What if you show up on a Wanted Poster?" Lami asked.

Sabo almost tripped. "Huh?"

"Well, I mean - you guys intend to get famous eventually right?" Lami skipped a bit. "Won't you eventually get bounties? And before that, if you get spotted with the crew, like with Marco or someone with a big bounty, what if you end up in the News Coo, or in one of their updated bounties, wearing Oyaji's mark? Won't that be a dead giveaway?"

"Well, yeah…" Sabo trailed off. "But hopefully we won't be news for a while… and by the time we do get our own bounties, we'll be strong enough that he can't drag us home even if he wants to. Oyaji said he's only sticking around in this sea for a couple years, right?"

"Yeah, tops," Haruta agreed. "Then we go back to the New World, which is… a lot more dangerous."

"Well, the old man doesn't go there, I think. Ace said he sticks around training new recruits and stuff. So hopefully once we make it to the New World, it won't matter anyway and he won't chase us that far," Sabo reasoned. "He already knows we have our hearts set on becoming pirates."

"Do you really think that's going to stop him?" Lami asked.

Sabo's shoulders slumped. "No. But I can hope."

She grinned. "Well, at least he cares, even if he sounds downright terrifying."

Sabo cracked a grin at those words. "Yeah. He cares more than my biological parents ever did. Even if he is a crazy old bastard."

"Did you write anything embarrassing in your letter this time around?" Haruta asked.

"Nah, not especially," Sabo answered. "I already told Dadan she's our mom, so it can't get worse than that. Not like I signed it 'I love you' or something mushy like that."

"From the way you said she and Ace both react to stuff like that, you'd have to have a death wish to take it that far," Haruta joked.

"Yeah - she'd track us down and smack us all just for thinking it," Sabo laughed, holding his stomach as he nearly doubled over. "She's great, though. Maybe I'll mess with her next time, once I'm sending letters more often."

Lami giggled. "I think you like having a mom and a dad who care about you, Sabo."

He nearly tripped, fumbling with his hat. In an almost Luffy-like move, he pulled the brim down to shield his eyes a bit. "Don't psychoanalyze me, Lami," he mumbled, sounding as stern as he could. "You're gonna be a surgeon, not a shrink."

"Maybe I'll do it all," she chirped, skipping a bit more. "You know, I saw Vere giving someone a tattoo earlier - did you know the medical staff, and mostly the nurses give out the majority of the tattoos? I didn't know that. Chloris said she gave someone a butt-tattoo last year."

"Ugh," Haruta grimaced. "Yeah, unfortunately I've seen it. Hang around enough of the parties after hours and you will too."

"I want to learn to give tattoos," Lami added. "I've been practicing doodling on my notes and trying to get cleaner lines. It's probably a lot like surgery precision."

"I mean, kinda," Haruta agreed with a shrug. He grinned. "Hey, if you do qualify for it by the time we're old enough, you could give me my tattoo!"

Lami tucked some hair behind her ear, looking up with a shy smile. "Really?"

"Definitely! In fact, I want to be the first one you give a tattoo if you really want to be one of the tattoo artists," Haruta decided. "I know you'll be awesome at it, Lami. You're dedicated to everything you set your mind to."

"Yeah. And if you don't mangle him, maybe you can do mine," Sabo teased.

Lami turned and punched Sabo's arm - playfully - and then winced. "Ow. While I'm at it, I also need to learn to throw a punch."

"Yeah, no kidding," Sabo teased, reaching over to tug on a lock of her hair. "Let's get Luffy to give you some pointers."

She stuck her tongue out at him, but she was smiling as they made their way to the galley.

...

A/N: Thank you for reading! And thank you for not giving up on me. I will do my best not to sink into the despair that held me down for the last two years. All of the support and reviews and messages, the faves and follows and tumblr pokes have meant so much to me. The event that happened on November 2nd changed my life beyond repair and as a child I didn't think I would have survived it, but somehow I have.

Thank you, everyone. See you next chapter!