A/N: Beta by Navigator101, updated on 9/17/2018.

Prologue

Not everyday is a good day,
live anyway.
Not everyone tells the truth,
trust anyway.
Not everyone will love you back,
love anyway.
Not every game will be fair,
play anyway.

-Unknown

Three young boys looked around the ship. There were bodies lying all over the deck, battered and bloodied.

"Are there anymore hiding somewhere?" The blond child asked. He was tired and just wanted to get back and get cleaned up, or as clean as they could get anyway. They were all covered with specks of dried blood here and there, and the itch was starting to get on his nerves. That wasn't counting the dirt, grime, and sweat they've accumulated.

"No more," mumbled the youngest of the group.

"Let's go then," the older brunette said tiredly as he brought out a Den Den Mushi. The job didn't take them long, but they were hungry from not being fed enough. A small loaf of nearly moldy bread and a glass of water two times a day wasn't enough for the three growing boys.

They walked on and over the bodies littering the deck of the ship as another ship pulled alongside, and they boarded. They were soon greeted by a large hairy man.

"Good job," the man sneered. "You may go back to your room and rest. There will be another job for you in the morning." He laughed as he walked away.

Their 'room,' as it was called, was one of four cells within the bowels of the ship, with barely enough room for more than three full-grown men each.

"I wish this nightmare would just be over," grumbled the blond once their guard left them, flopping onto the cold, hard cement floor.

"Me too, Sabo. Me too," grunted the older brunette as he made his way to a dark corner of their cell to grab the small water-filled bucket.

"Ace, hungry," whined the younger brunette.

"We are too, Luffy. Just deal with it. Let's just wash up and go to sleep. Maybe we can swipe some food tomorrow." Ace ruffled his little brother's hair affectionately.

Washing up consisted of just a bucket of dirty water and a dirty towel. At least they were able to get the blood off of them. Not much they could do with their clothes though.

The next morning, they were so tired that they didn't realize a guard had opened their cell door and had to be woken up with a kick to the stomach each. They curled up and groaned in pain before they got up and followed the guard. It was the same every time they didn't wake up before the doors were opened. The guards never talked to them, unless it was to insult them. The three boys just learned not to listen and didn't bother talking to the guards.

The hairy man from the day before, their current boss, greeted them in the debriefing room. "Good morning, boys. I have great news for you. Today's job is just a simple kidnapping."

Kidnapping is good, Ace thought to himself. That usually meant new clothes. New clothes meant they wouldn't get kicked out of restaurants for looking like sewer rats. Kidnapping also meant they had a few hours to themselves in a town without supervision, assuming they'd be dropped off at an inhabited island.

"Your target is this man," the guy shoved a picture in their faces. "Be sure to erase all evidence. Don't let anyone see you and be done by noon. Remember, do not kill him." The man left the room, and a guard walked in with a new set of clothes for them and whatever tools they would need for the mission.

-*/-*/-*/-*/-*/

A/N: I have this story already completed in my notebook. It's just going to take me some time to edit and post. Hope you enjoy. Oh, and sorry for any grammar errors. I'm trying.