Hey guys! Just a quick foreword so you can get an idea about what this is about. First off, I do NOT own One Piece, even if that would be awesome and there would be some changes (cough cough Ace lives cough cough).
As for this story, this is going to center around ASL and their romance, yes, but there is going to be plenty of action and stoof. Basically, this is an ASL pirates story, except Luffy will be the only Captain. Whitebeard and the Revolutionaries WILL come in later, but Ace and Sabo are NOT going to join them... maybe become honorary members. Whatever. Anyway, this story will take place through the childhood of ASL until they are 17 and begin their real journey.

Hope you enjoy!

The three of them stumbled in the dark in a vague direction of the tree house.

They were tired, exhausted beyond comprehension yet still somehow finding the energy to clumsily make their way back. They were cold, their bodies were faced with the chill of the night that seeped beneath their thin layers and their souls were frozen with the thought of all those who had died as a result of the fire. It had taken all Ace and Luffy had to get away from the flames, to leave the burning inferno and the screams of those not so lucky. After they had reached safety, they realized that Sabo was still in the city, no doubt horrified by what the nobles had done, were doing.

They didn't pause to think about their minor burns or their tired bodies, they simply ran towards the giant wall that separated the city from the blazes. The wall was too high for Luffy to stretch, especially since he was still unable to make good on his aim. So, they scoured the wall until they came across a place where the top was crumbled just enough for the youngest to reach, rocketing Ace with him to the other side.

It was dark, the shadows of the night hiding their small forms as they traversed the familiar streets, sneaking from one dark corner to another. That night, though, the alleyways seemed more sinister, the darkened corners more like voids. Luffy hadn't complained, though. Every now and then a small whimper would escape him, but he shushed himself almost as soon as they escaped. Ace lead him towards the gate, hoping that perhaps Sabo had escaped from his home and was maybe near the gateway. If not… they would have to search the whole night for Sabo's house.

Luckily, they found a slouched figure on the ground in front of the gate, familiar top hat carelessly tossed to the side and the form unmoving. The two of them rushed to their brother and were immensely relieved to see that he was simply unconscious not…

Sabo came to after a minute or two of constant prodding by Luffy. He'd blinked blearily at them before his eyes cleared and he sat up quickly, panic clear. Before he could start hyperventilating, Ace and Luffy had wrapped him in a tight hug, unwilling to let him go until they were sure he was safe. Once his breathes had calmed, he had returned the hug just as tightly, if not tighter.

There were no time for words. The guards could be patrolling at any moment and they had to leave as quickly as possible. They made their silent way back to the crumbled part of the wall and Luffy was able to take them back to the other side. They were careful to ignore both the light of the flames and the terrible screams emitting from within. They never lasted long anyway.

Somehow, by some miracle, the three of them made it to the tree line and into the jungle. As they entered the shaded forest and the sheer comfort it brought, it was like everything had suddenly caught up with them. Luffy collapsed once or twice and his two brothers had to help him up despite their own heaviness. Dragging their feet, a wave of utter relief washed over them at the sight of the tree house.

What was odd, though, were the two strange fruits waiting at the top of the ladder.

They half-heartedly searched for enemies, too tired to fight even if there were intruders. They had set the fruits aside, already knowing what they were.

Devil Fruits.

One of them was vaguely shaped like an apple, red-orange flaming swirls decorating it. The other was pear shaped, navy blue with golden scales. Both of them looked almost like decorations rather than foods, foods that granted immense power.

They sat them to the side, though, and focused on each other.

It was silent as they bandaged each other up, Luffy first because he was the weakest. He wore his rare frown the entire time, his eyes wet and a few tears escaping which Ace half-heartedly reprimanded him for. After Luffy came Ace who had taken the majority of the burns after beating up Bluejam to protect Luffy. He winced and hissed as Sabo bandaged him, but was silent otherwise. All Sabo had was a scrape or two and a sluggishly bleeding cut on the back of his head.

Once they were bandaged, the three of them gathered into a hug and Luffy only cried for a minute or two before he smiled again, a bright sunny thing that just made Ace and Sabo feel so much better.

"I'm glad Ace and Sabo are alright," he'd sleepily commented, worn out from everything that had happened. Sabo and Ace smiled gently at him, Ace brushing his dark bangs from his face as his youngest brother slowly drifted to sleep. Once he was out, he turned to his blond brother, his expression slightly more serious.

"Sabo… we've gotta get stronger," he scowled at the floor, "I… I can't lose you guys… I love you two."

Sabo smiled softly at this.

"I love you, too," he looked Ace in the eye, "I agree, we've got to get stronger."

I love Ace!

W-what?! A-are you crazy?

No, I love Ace and I love Sabo! Shishishishi!

I… I guess I like you guys, too…

Don't be an idiot, of course I love you!

So, then what are we?

Huh?

Well, I don't think friends loved each other like that, so what are we?

Married?

No, you have to have rings to be married.

Oh! What about boyfriends?! Ace, Sabo, and Luffy!

Hmmm… I've never seen more than two boyfriends, though.

Oh… hmmmmmmmm… Oh! What about brothers?!

Brothers?

Un! You can have more than one brother and they never leave you! Shishishi!

Yeah… let's be brothers!

Brothers!

"We have to get stronger… for each other," Sabo looked back up at Ace whose gaze was now directed towards the Devil Fruits. It was an unconscious agreement, one that didn't need to be spoken because the answer was so obvious.

Ace grabbed the red apple and Sabo took the blue pear. They hesitated for a moment, doubt over running their minds as they thought about the consequences. Then, meeting one another's eyes, their will solidified, their determination clearing out any doubts or worries. This was for the best. They had to get stronger to protect themselves, to protect each other. They wouldn't be able to function if they lost one of them. They loved each other and while they knew it went beyond brotherly bonds they still referred to each other as siblings. They knew the truth, though.

Just the other day, back before all of this had ever happened, Luffy had snuck up and puckered his lips, giving Sabo the most childish version of a kiss there could be. Sabo had blushed brighter than a tomato while Ace pouted until Luffy gave him one of his own. It was innocent, just a child-like notion that came to be expected from Luffy, but it had proven how they felt.

They loved each other and to lose one of them would be the equivalent of an earth shattering quake.

No more hesitation, they both bit into their respective fruits, choking on the foul taste, but eating nonetheless. Once all that remained were two barren cores, they forced themselves to keep from throwing up and simply lay there, panting at the effort it took to eat such horrid things. Glancing to each other and then to Luffy, they smiled.

They didn't know what kind of devil fruits they had eaten, but it didn't matter. Now, they were stronger and could get even more so.

The two eldest shuffled over to their sleeping sibling, wrapping him up in a loving cuddle before drifting to sleep themselves, letting the past day slide off of them like water off a duck. They could not dwell on the what-if's when they needed to be concerned with the what-now's. Tomorrow, they would find out what powers they had been granted and start on their path to getting stronger, to getting better.

And that wraps up the Prologue! Hope you guys all liked it and I would REALLY appreciate it if you told me what you thought. I've already got several more chapters of this written and I plan to post weekly, but the schedule may become hectic. I apologize in advance.

Anyway, have a fantabulous day!