What if Sabo had survived?

Jaya was a lovely little island about half-way through Paradise. And Mock Town was even better, it had everything a pirate could ever need to continue along his adventure on the Grand Line. It wasn't very often the Spade Pirates came across a town that was so welcoming to them.

As Captain, the first thing Ace did was divide up the goods and ordered his crew to get the supplies they would need before setting sail in the morning. His next order was for them to all meet him at the bar across from the gambling hall where he would find something to eat, much to his cook's relief. The man was always complaining about not being able to keep up with Ace's appetite, you'd think he'd get used to it after the year they had been sailing together.

Ace walked through the swinging doors and made a bee line for the bar with every intention on eating every last morsel of food in the building. There were three free seats side by side at the bar and Ace choose to sit himself right in the middle. "Three plates of the special and keep it coming!" He ordered happily.

The man behind the bar looked taken a back for a moment before jumping into action and ordering a waitress to get on his order while he filled up a pint for him. He took a gulp before turning in his chair to get a look around. The room was full of pirates, drinking, gambling and laughing.

"So you're Fire Fist, huh?" A voice to his left calling his attention.

Ace turned his head to the man one seat away from him. He was hunched over the bar nursing his own drink. Ace couldn't see his face as it was obscured by a black top hat which cased him to frown. Sabo had had a hat like that, he even had the same goggles around it like this man did. In fact, the more Ace took in the man's appearance, the more he was reminded of his long dead brother. This man even wore a blue tail coat with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows as Sabo had.

Then the man lifted his head up to reveal the smiling face of a blonde man with short curly hair and a chipped tooth. Ace choked, he knew that face anywhere even if it had aged eight years. "Sabo!"

The man's smirk grew until it stretched half way across his face. "I almost thought you didn't recognize me."

The man, whether he was Sabo or not, never saw the fist hurtling at his face. The bar went silent as the man in the top hat went hurtling through a wall and into a back ally with Ace running after him.

"What the hell, Ace!" Sabo yelled, standing up and rubbing his cheek.

"Sabo died eight years ago, who the hell are you?!" He demanded so harshly that several bums that had been in the ally previously decided that that was their cue to high tail it outta there.

The Sabo imposter's, maybe, face went blank in surprise. "Huh?" He said and Ace was tempted to light his ass on fire. "I'm not dead."

"Dogra saw that Celestial Dragon blow up my brother, he's dead!" The anger and misery from that experience came rushing back fueling his hate toward whoever the hell this was.

His eyes grew wide in realization. "Dogra was there?" The impersonator who probably wasn't rubbed the back of his head. "I didn't know, if I had I would have sent another letter to tell you that I survived."

No one knew about that letter besides him, Dadan, Dogra and Luffy. Could he really be Sabo? "How do I know you're really him?" He asked, his voice laced with hostility and suspicion.

The man smirked before shrugging his coat of his shoulder to reveal a tattoo on his bare shoulder. It was the same symbol they had drawn on their pirate flag as children. But that wasn't the only thing. Under the waistcoat, he was bare-chested and Ace could now clearly see what looked to be old burn scars.

All aggression lost, Ace moved forward to inspect him more. "How did you survive?"

Sabo put his coat back on and dusted himself off from the dirt and debris he had accumulated after Ace punched him. "I wouldn't have, if it hadn't been for Dragon."

"Dragon? Wait, the Revolutionary Dragon?" What the hell had he been doing there?

"Yeah, pulled me from the wreckage of my stolen boat before too much damage could be done." Sabo smiled. "I owe him my life and even though I'm a pirate now I still help him out when he calls."

"What was Luffy's dad even doing at Grey Terminal that day?" Ace asked as the two left the ally and walked out into the street. It was probably best if they didn't venture back into the bar, less they have to pay for damages.

"Luffy's dad?" Sabo asked, a frown marring his face. "Dragon?"

"You didn't know? Gramps let it slip once before I left Dawn Island." Surely he and Dragon talked occasionally, the topic of Luffy must have come up at some point.

Sabo had paused in his walking. "Of course Garp spawned that monster who in turn spawned Luffy. Does Luffy know?"

Ace shrugged his shoulders. "As far as I can tell, he thinks he just popped up out of the ground one day." They both shared a laugh at their bumbling kid brother. "I've gotta send a letter to Luffy, let him know you're alive!"

"Don't bother," Sabo said waving the thought off. "He'll make it to the Grand Line in another two years, I'll see him then!" He turned them toward the docks. "I bet he won't hit his long-lost brother."

Ace snorted, if any of them was bound to over react to something it was Luffy. "Yeah we'll see, just be warned that his aim has gotten better."

For the first time in a long time, Ace was truly happy. The day that Luffy joined them on the Grand LIne wasn't far off. Once that day came, they'd all be together again.

A/N

I need idea's, I'm running out of steam and I don't want to abandon this. Idea's for one-shots is what I need, not full-blown stories.