A Farewell Between Brothers
"What? Sabo, you're going home?"
Little Luffy had spent the past few days with Sabo, growing incredibly close to him. So, when he heard that Sabo planned to return home, he couldn't hide his reluctance.
"Yeah," Sabo nodded. "I have to go back. Some things need to be faced. I can't keep running away forever."
Luffy didn't fully understand Sabo's words, but they sounded serious. Almost dangerous.
"Then I'll go with you!" Luffy declared.
Sabo was taken aback before smiling warmly. "Alright."
With that, the two of them sought permission from Sakazuki and set off toward the Goa Kingdom together.
Ron's Perspective
From the deck of a Marine warship, Garp watched the two boys leave. He scratched his head and muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this… The Goa Kingdom isn't exactly peaceful today. Those two brats will probably cause trouble."
Ron, who was seated under a parasol with a map spread out before him, merely nodded.
"Let them go."
Garp raised an eyebrow. "You're just letting them run off like that?"
"Some things need to be seen and experienced firsthand. Only by witnessing true darkness and suffering can one understand the necessity of justice," Ron replied, still focused on the map. With a calm hand, he circled several locations.
Garp wasn't sure he completely understood, but he shrugged. "Well, you always were a smart one, Political Commissar Ron."
---
The Goa Kingdom's Cruel Divide
That morning, the Goa Kingdom was placed under strict martial law.
Celestial Dragons' messengers were arriving today, and everything had to be perfect.
Royal guards patrolled the streets, driving away commoners and forcing those who weren't dressed in fine clothes to remain indoors. The poor had already been expelled to the Gray Terminal, the massive garbage dump outside the city walls. Heavily armed guards ensured that none of them could sneak back in.
Standing before the city gates, Luffy and Sabo watched the desperate struggle of the poor.
"This is the disease of this kingdom," Sabo muttered through clenched teeth.
"This gate divides two worlds. Inside is paradise; outside is hell."
Then, determination burned in his eyes. "One day, I will break this gate down!"
Luffy's own eyes lit up. "That sounds great! My dream is to catch Whitebeard and become a Marine!"
Sabo burst into laughter. "Your dream sounds even harder than mine!"
Luffy grinned. "Well, why don't we just rush in now and tear the gate down?"
Sabo shook his head. "That's not the real gate. The real one…" He pointed toward the grand palace in the city center. "It's there."
---
Clash with the Guards
"Hey! What are you two brats doing here?" A city guard raised his gun, glaring at them. "Get lost before I have to get rough."
Another guard sneered. "Why waste time? Just shoot them! We still have to round up the poor later."
Without hesitation, he aimed his gun at Luffy and Sabo.
Sabo's face darkened. "Too bad for you."
Before the guard could pull the trigger, Sabo spun and launched a Tempest Kick, sending the man flying.
"Rubber-Rubber Pistol!" Luffy yelled, his stretchy fist smashing into the remaining guards, knocking them out instantly.
The poor people watching from the Gray Terminal were stunned.
"Did I just see that right? Two kids under ten just took down armed guards?"
"That's insane!"
Luffy beamed under the praise until Sabo smacked him on the head. "Quit smiling like an idiot. Let's move!"
Without hesitation, they dashed through the now-unprotected gates.
---
Inside the Goa Kingdom
The city inside was stunning.
Luffy's eyes widened at the spotless streets, the tall buildings, and the elegantly dressed people. But something felt… off.
The nobles walked stiffly, speaking in formal tones that felt fake. Their polite conversations and laughter seemed rehearsed, as if it was all just for show.
"This way," Sabo whispered, pulling Luffy toward his family's mansion.
But before they could go far—
"Ew! Where did these filthy children come from?" A noble lady wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Guards! Get rid of them immediately!"
"They're probably diseased! We can't let them infect us!"
Just then, the streets erupted into murmurs.
"The Celestial Dragons' messenger has arrived!"
At those words, the nobles who had just been sneering immediately straightened up, adopting fawning smiles. The shift in their behavior was so drastic that even Luffy noticed.
"How fake," Sabo spat.
A grand procession of royal guards and carriages rolled in. At the center, a lavishly decorated chariot carried the emissary of the Celestial Dragons.
"Sir, there seem to be two children standing in the way," a royal guard reported.
The noble inside the chariot didn't even glance at them. "Filthy brats. Kill them."
The surrounding nobles nodded in approval.
"Yes, the Celestial Dragons should not be inconvenienced by trash like them."
"It's not a pity to die."
---
A Shot That Changed a Life
A gun was raised.
The Celestial Dragons' emissary took aim at Sabo.
"Die."
The gunshot rang out.
Luffy's eyes widened.
Sabo remembered this moment all too well.
In another world—another timeline—this was how he had died. Shot down by a Celestial Dragon as he tried to escape to the sea.
That version of him had been powerless. But not this time.
BOOM!
Sabo disappeared from sight—then reappeared in an instant, just inches away from the shooter.
Before anyone could react, his Iron Body technique kicked in, allowing him to tank another bullet that grazed his shoulder. But instead of falling, he lunged forward and landed a crushing Finger Pistol to the man's gut.
"Urk—!!"
The Celestial Dragons' emissary's eyes rolled back as he collapsed unconscious.
For the first time in their lives, the nobles saw something they had never imagined—
A Celestial Dragon's messenger, defeated by a child.
Panic erupted.
Luffy, seeing the chaos, burst into laughter. "HAHAHA! We win!"
Sabo, however, was serious. He grabbed Luffy's arm. "No time to celebrate. Run!"
At that moment, Marine sirens wailed through the streets.
Reinforcements were coming.
---
Sabo's Determination
As they fled through the streets, Sabo felt something stir inside him.
He had been shot by a Celestial Dragon before. He had died before.
But this time—this time, he was strong enough to fight back.
And that meant—
One day, he really could destroy the gates of this kingdom.
For good.
---
In Another World…
Meanwhile, in the original timeline, the older Sabo was watching this scene unfold through the Dimensional Projection.
His fists clenched.
"This… this is the moment I died back then."
He took a deep breath, his chest filled with complex emotions.
But then he smirked.
"I don't know how things will turn out for this me in that world… but at least, he's not as miserable as I was back then."
The screen went black.
The future of this world was changing.
And no one—not even the Celestial Dragons—could predict what came next.
----––--––-------------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Samurai492