The Tides Can Always Turn on You

Chapter 7: Revolutionary Change I

This and part 2 will follow Sabo's experience up to the end of chapter 6.

Beta'd by RedHoodsWife.

Making his way quickly down the halls a blonde man weaved in and out of the shadows. He had no desire to see anyone right now. Having just come back from gathering Intel with Hack and Koala, all he wanted was to take a nap and just pretend the events he witnessed had not actually happened. Each time he thinks things can't get any worse the world seems determined to prove him wrong.

More like the World Government is determined to get worse.It made him sick how nobles thought they could do whatever they wanted to others and go unpunished. He knew he was born a noble, but that was where the relation ended. Another slave auction had gone down and now even his own face was beginning to disgust him. He didn't want to report to Dragon. Sabo didn't want to relive the gilded shit the nobles had created to feed their sick desires.

He found himself a few paces from the door marking his bedroom. If he could just slip in unnoticed he'd be free until the next morning, let Koala and Hack handle the report.

Reaching for the door he heard a commotion coming from the dining area. Silently he warred with his thoughts, should he investigate or should he make a break for freedom? His curiosity won out as he heard mention of a Great War. Tired or not he needed to know what was going on if for nothing less than his own sanity.

Sliding down the hall he was sure he looked ridiculous as he tried to move undetected. If he could accomplish both his goals he was willing to risk looking a little ridiculous. He leaned a little past the doorway giving him a vantage point to watch the people gathered without being seen. It was just some of the newer members having some kind of fit over a newspaper. He caught small, disorienting snippets of conversation.

"Whitebeard...injuries...marines...pirates...war...dissent."

The last word caught his attention. What was the dissent over and with whom?If only he could grab that paper without getting noticed. Sabo placed a hand on his trademark hat and glanced up in a silent plea for an idea. Taking notice of the rafters he grinned. Least it was just new recruits he had to get past and now he had an idea how.

He pulled his pipe from behind his back and hooked the curved joint on a beam above him he swung himself up above the conversation. He'd never understand why people always forget to look up. Sabo didn't forget, but then again no one taught him that... At least he didn't think anyone did. Half his life was blurry at best but he didn't let that stop him from his goals. If anything it drove him to learn more so maybe one day he could learn what he lost. He lost something he just didn't know what. Sometimes at night he'd feel a pang of sorrow and loss so he knew there was something missing.

Sabo shook his head to clear his thoughts. The earlier reconnaissance was making him sentimental and right now it was an unwelcome distraction. Balancing, he made his way across various beams till he was above the paper. He lowered himself to wait for the new members to put the paper down and look away. Honestly he was a bit disappointed with how quickly his opportunity came. He wasn't going to question his luck but he made a note to increase their training. With a swipe of his pipe the papers were in the air and snatched by his hand. Without sparing them a second glance he stuffed the newspaper bundle in his coat pocket so he could read them later at his leisure.

Making his way back out of the room he decided to stick the traveling in the rafters which paid off as the group without any form of entertainment made their own way back to who knows where. Biding his time till they passed, Sabo found himself grinning at having things go easily after such a difficult mission. Though it was strenuous it was definitely trying on his nerves. Celestial Dragons always wore on his nerves and made him a bit unpredictable but he kept his head.

Blinking he noticed the hall was silent once again. Wasting no time, he jumped from the rafters and opened his door. Sabo was careful to ease the door shut though. He may be relatively safe in his room but the door only locked if anyone thought something was wrong they would break the door. Last time that had happened it took them a week to replace it and he was still trying to destroy all the pictures that had been taken of him that week, some embarrassing and yet others just flat out degrading. He didn't bother to suppress a shudder. People got weird when cooped up in the base too long. That seldom led to good things.

Sabo glanced around his room to make sure nothing was out of place. It was doubtful that anyone would actually mess with his meager possessions but it had happened before. His desk had papers strewn all across it but they were for documenting his story and lacked anything of importance as far as battle plans went and his bed was a mess as always. Koala always yelled at him to fix it but for some reason the disarray felt like home.

Falling back on the bed he could feel his muscles relax. He took a few minutes to himself before sitting up and crossing his legs. He enjoyed the silence, but too much of it and he began to feel himself going crazy. Instead of lying back and waiting for tomorrow to come he took the opportunity to examine the papers he took. Pulling them from his pocket he could already see a large bold word.

Marineford.

Immediately the word brought to mind the location of the marine headquarters. Another grin made itself known. Any trouble for the Marines was worth noting. The smile faded as his eyes locked on a picture of two men surrounded by flames, heavily injured but grinning all the same. Sabo felt as if his head was being split in half. He felt proud and... scared?

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts only increased the pain. He caught the sound of laughter echoing around the room, three laughs to be exact. The blonde felt his eyes water from the pain. Or was it sadness? Why would he be sad? He could hear a voice yelling, a flash of burning heat, then numbing cold. Thinking only brought more questions so he let himself just take in the moment. He felt a burn in his throat that made him feel sick.

Brothers

Why did the taste bring that word to mind? For a minute the world seemed to be ripped out from under him then placed back together, as if nothing had changed but now it would never be the same.

Suddenly, he knew. No fanfare, no great epiphany. Just a sudden click. That was all it took to make everything shift. It was almost... disappointing. A quest for answers and then it just happens. He wasn't even trying to understand his past at the moment and the answers literally fall in his lap.

His disappointment was cut short as his mind caught up. His brothers! His brothers were there and he was here! They were on the front page and he was feeling slighted because he didn't get the drama he wasn't expecting. Sabo snatched the papers off the floor. He didn't know when he dropped them but it didn't matter right now. In his rush he partially fell off the bed but took no notice as he scrambled through the pages for the picture that had caught his interest initially.

He felt his lips turn in a smile that felt it could break his face if he got any happier. Tears made their way down and he wiped at them furiously. He was not going to let his emotions ruin the only scrap he had of his brothers. Sabo took in every detail of the picture. Ace had gotten so much taller and was standing back to back with Luffy with that wild grin he always seemed to have. Seems Ace took his note to heart as the two seemed inseparable.

A small sob made itself known. They looked hurt and not like when they sparred either. Now that he looked he saw the tiredness that seemed to be hiding in his brothers eyes. What had happened to them?Sabo felt his stomach twist. He should have been there. Standing together with them.

Sabo glanced away from the picture. What else could this paper tell me? He looked for any mention of the two. He wasn't disappointed when the first sentence told of his older brother's execution.Those bastardsHis hands tightened around the edges of the paper. They had bound Ace in sea stone and carted him away to Impel Down. Then to the hellhole that was Marineford to make a spectacle of his brother's supposed end.

They told the world Ace's secret and reaffirmed all that Luffy and he had spent their childhood trying to prove wrong. They wrote a death sentence for something beyond Ace's control. Sabo knew now that Ace was a famous pirate and while he would be beyond pissed for any reason someone gave for hurting his brothers he could at least mildly accept if it was for Ace's own actions. A growl escaped his throat. This This was just a perversion of justice. Tried for something he did not do. Before, Sabo saw these things it made him mad but now... quite literally, it was personal. He'd see the World Government and its mongrels burn for this.

Letting out a shaky breath, Sabo forced himself to calm. He needed to know more, everything these papers could tell him. Reading further he found himself squirming around in joy at hearing how Whitebeard had started a war over it. Ace had found a good crew even if he wasn't a captain. Sabo made a note to thank the Yonko when he saw him. At least Ace had others to tell him that it was good he was around. No one starts a war if they don't care.

Another pang of sorrow made itself known. Sabo shook it off. He had no right to feel like he had been replaced. He had been gone for ten years and intentional or not he had to pay the price for it.

Standing up, Sabo began throwing a bag of supplies together. He would go find Ace and if nothing less make sure he was okay. The blonde moved at a sedated pace due to the apprehension he felt. Luffy was always good at making Ace forget his anger... Sabo jerked to a halt. Luffy! He had forgot Luffy was in the pictured too! He scrambled about trying to find the papers once more.

Tossing his blanket aside, or trying to, he found himself tangled in the fabric. Maybe he should have cleaned his room. He stumbled around to try to get the blanket off only to slide on the papers he had been searching for. Sabo cursed as he hit the floor and finally yanked the accursed blanket off. Seeing the papers crushed under his boots, Sabo felt his breath catch. No, no, no!If he ruined them he might never know why his little brother was there and what had happened. He grabbed the papers and frantically smoothed them out. They were ruffled and had a boot print on them but we're still quite readable.

He scanned down the paper to where he had stopped reading prior. The contents were well he'd say amazingly stupid but this was Luffy they were talking about. His little brother had broken in and out of Impel Down, stole a Marine ship, and somehow managed to land said ship of criminals right into the middle of the war. Their little brother then proceeded to pretty much tear up anything in his way and rescued the eldest.

Sabo let out a giddy laugh. They were okay. The smile however turned down at the ends as he read of Luffy being considered a danger and the order for both of them to be killed at once. His breath caught as he read Dragon's name in the mix. His boss was his little brother's dad? That was going to take awhile to sink in. Sabo's heart sank as he read of Ace turning to fight Akainu and being injured in the fight. He felt like he would be sick as he wad of the nobleAkainu's attack on his little brother that Ace placed himself between.

The fear died as he read of an unknown enemy attacking the admiral and allowing the two to escape along with the rest of the Whitebeard pirates. The paper ended on a note that the Marines had bravely fought and had left the pirates in a critical state that they were unlikely to recover from. Sabo tucked the paper in his coat the picture of calm. He walked over to his stuff and gently grabbed it off the desk. Taking a sheet of paper out of one of the drawers he scribbled a small note for anyone who came looking for him.

Going out for a bit. Be back later.

Placing it on the bed he did a final sweep of the room. Nodding in satisfaction, he turned to the door and walked out. He wasn't going to lose his cool. Not yet. He pressed his rage deep inside. It wasn't healthy but he'd need it later, when he tore the people who did this to his brothers to pieces.

Authors note:

Why is the bucket not mentioned? The news paper would not print something so humiliating to the Marines. Also why Ace and Luffy's state is greatly exaggerated.