"Sabo..." Koala called out softly once more.
"I'm fine, don't worry," Sabo said as he slowly stood up. He looked at Drake, his gaze burning with intensity. "Drake, how did you find me here? How did you even know I was here?"
Drake pulled out a blank scrap of paper. Noticing Sabo's confused expression, he spoke plainly: "Sabo, there's no time to lose. Ace... he's going to be executed."
"What!?" Sabo's pupils constricted violently. Before he could even process the shock, he demanded, "How did this happen!?"
"You know his secret... Ace's parentage," Drake said, slowly pocketing the Vivre Card and turning his gaze toward the horizon.
"Because of Roger's bloodline..." Sabo stepped up to the shoreline, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Drake.
They both understood. The World Government would never allow the blood of the world's most fearsome pirate, Gol D. Roger, to persist. They had known since they were children that Ace was Roger's son, and they had always known, deep down, that this day might come.
Once Ace's identity was exposed, the World Government and Marine Headquarters would never let him go. They would move heaven and earth to eliminate him.
But Ace was their brother. Regardless of the enemy—even if it was the entire world—what did it matter? It was simply a reason to fight!
"Was Ace... captured?" Sabo's voice held a note of disbelief. He knew how powerful Ace was; who could possibly take him down?
Drake opened his mouth to speak, a surge of fury rising in his chest. Blackbeard's betrayal, Ace's capture... it was the eternal scar in the hearts of all One Piece fans. Since I've been made their brother, I have to stop Blackbeard this time!
In the original timeline, Blackbeard was the ultimate victor of the Paramount War. He didn't just steal the power of the Gura Gura no Mi; he took the life of "Pops" Whitebeard with his own hands.
Drake let out a long, heavy exhale. "Sabo, Luffy should be on his way to Impel Down as we speak."
"Impel Down!?" Sabo's mind reeled at the name. He whipped his head toward Drake. "The Great Underwater Prison!?"
"No, we have to stop him! Has Luffy lost his mind!?"
A small smile played on Drake's lips. Seeing Sabo like this proved he hadn't changed; he was still the same overprotective, gentle older brother to Luffy.
"Sabo!" Vale D. Drake called out sharply, looking down.
Sabo's body stiffened, but after looking at Drake, he quickly regained his composure. He knew Drake had come to find him specifically for this reason.
"Calm down first. Let me tell you everything that's happened over these last few years..." Drake sat down on the ground, watching Sabo quietly.
"Fine," Sabo sat as well. "Tell me."
[Ding! Mission Complete!] The system's familiar voice rang in Drake's head. [Rewards have been sent to your inventory.]
Drake hadn't expected the mission to be completed so easily. He had been worried about the timeline, but it seemed everything was still within reach.
"Our stories are actually quite similar. I left them shortly after you did..." Pushing back his relief, Drake delved into the memories.
Sabo's eyes narrowed, a sense of dread pooling in his gut.
"In the minds of Luffy and Ace, they only have one brother left. Right now, Ace is being held on Level 6 of Impel Down."
"And you know Luffy. With Ace in this much trouble, there's no way he'd just sit by. The moment he heard the news, he set off like a madman," Drake explained.
"That idiot..." Sabo bit his lip, a flash of pain crossing his face.
"Hahaha! Sabo, Luffy isn't that little crybaby anymore. Take a look at this." Drake smirked and pulled a poster from his coat, handing it to Sabo.
"Three... three hundred million Berries..." Sabo looked at the bounty poster, an unidentifiable emotion swelling in his chest. "Luffy! You really haven't changed..."
On the poster, Luffy's grin was as wide as ever, but he no longer looked like a crybaby.
"Have faith in him. We can't make it to Impel Down in time from here. We need to head straight for Marine Headquarters—Marineford!" Drake stood up, his eyes filled with resolve.
"You're right. Just in case Luffy can't get Ace out, we'll be there to do it ourselves!" Sabo stared ahead. He had only just regained his memories; he could not—would not—stand by and lose his brother again.
"Koala, take the ship and head back first. I have things to do. Tell Dragon that this mission is complete. Consider this my vacation."
"But—" Koala started to protest, but Hack shook his head. They had already heard the full story from Kenshin. At a time like this, all they could do was support him.
"Alright... Sabo! You must come back safely!" She knew she couldn't help in a conflict of this scale. This was a world-class war; even for someone as strong as Sabo, survival wasn't guaranteed.
Sabo adjusted his top hat, a confident smirk touching his lips. "Yeah! Don't worry!" His eyes turned sharp, focused on the path ahead.
Luffy, Ace... are you guys okay...?
BAM! With a wave of his hand, Drake summoned the Protector. The massive submarine crashed into the sea, sending plumes of white spray into the air.
"What is that!?" Hack and Koala stared, eyes wide. How could such a behemoth appear out of thin air? Their first thought was that Drake must be a very specific type of Devil Fruit user.
Clack. Drake leaped through the air, landing firmly on the deck of the Protector. He turned back. "Sabo! Ace and Luffy need our strength!"
After a few final words to Koala and Hack, Sabo's aura surged. He leaped onto the submarine, one hand pinning his hat down, his eyes glowing with an intimidating light. "Let's go!"
"World Government! Marines! If you want to touch our brother, you'll have to go through us first!"
Drake swept his gaze toward the distance and opened the hatch. "Kenshin, let's move!"
"Objective: Marineford. Full speed ahead!"
[Ding! Destination searched... Target locked. The Protector will commence propulsion in ten seconds.]
Ace! We are definitely getting you out of there!
As the Protector slowly submerged and vanished beneath the waves, Koala and Hack stood on the shore, their hearts heavy with a mix of emotions.
Vale D. Drake, Fire Fist Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates, "Straw Hat" Luffy, and the Revolutionary Chief of Staff Sabo... they were four brothers.
For the sake of their bond, they were charging headlong into the center of a global storm.
Would this war change because of these four brothers? Only time would tell.