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"Sabo, Koala just called. She says we need to hurry."
On the vast, shimmering sea, an inconspicuous sailing ship rode the waves.
On the deck, a playful-looking young woman with goggles perched on her hat hung up the Den Den Mushi and spoke to the young man in front of her.
The young man also wore goggles and a hat, his wavy blond hair framing a face that seemed to perpetually hold a gentle smile.
His features were soft, but the burn scar over his left eye gave him an air of resilience.
Sabo leaned against the mast, his head resting on his hand, complaining out of boredom, "What in the world is Dragon-san planning? Why did he call us all the way out here?"
The spirited Koala approached him from behind and lightly rapped him on the back of his head. "Be patient, Sabo. The Chief trusts you, that's why he's giving you this task."
She leaned in and whispered, "I've heard that many of the Revolutionary Army soldiers admire you."
Sabo blinked. "So?"
Koala sighed. "So, I think the Chief will promote you again soon. You're the youngest and most promising officer in the Revolutionary Army."
Sabo waved his hand dismissively. "No way!"
"If Dragon promotes me, I'll eat this mast!"
Koala rolled her eyes. This guy was all talk.
"But seriously, why does Dragon-san insist on having that pirate join our operation?" Sabo wondered aloud.
Koala crossed her arms and chuckled. "Noir's Copy-Copy Fruit would be a valuable asset to any organization. Even if we can't recruit him, we can't afford to leave a bad impression."
"From what we've seen, Noir isn't a bad pirate, and we've established a good relationship with him."
Sabo nodded. "You mentioned another pirate joining us. Who is it?"
Koala pulled out a wanted poster from her bag and read aloud, "Portgas D. Ace, the infamous Fire Fist. His bounty has been skyrocketing lately."
"Ace..."
Sabo murmured the name, and two familiar voices echoed in his mind.
"And... Luffy?"
Koala paused. "Who's Luffy?"
Sabo clutched his head, his eyes wide as he struggled to remember.
A faint ache in his head told him that he knew these two names before he lost his memory. And they must have been important!
"Ah! We're approaching the East Blue Kingdom!"
Koala exclaimed excitedly, pointing towards the shore. "Koala is there too. Is that Noir standing next to her?"
Sabo turned his gaze towards the shore. Indeed, there stood the handsome man with a sword at his hip, beside Koala.
But as he glanced to the side, his eyes widened, unable to look away.
Ace, his nose running, stood on the shore, waving frantically, sobbing and excitedly slapping Noir on the back.
"Waaah... Sabo! Noir, look! It's really Sabo... Yahoo!"
Noir, his back being pounded by the overly enthusiastic Ace, felt his veins throb. He spun around and kicked Ace to the ground, yelling, "Get a grip! And stop wiping your snot and tears on me!"
Sabo stared at Ace, his mind flooded with fragmented memories.
Darkness, a terrible noble family, his escape...
In that place, he'd met the two most important people in his life.
They had built the "ASL Secret Base," sworn brotherhood, and vowed to sail the seas as pirates together.
But then, his parents had dragged him back. Sabo had escaped and set sail alone, only to be caught in a Celestial Dragon's crossfire and his ship sunk.
The fragments of his past began to reassemble, coloring the blank spaces in his childhood memories. And that comical, tear-streaked face suddenly merged with the image of his brother.
Ace, knocked down by Noir, scrambled to his feet. Seeing the ship drawing closer, he couldn't contain himself any longer and rushed towards it.
He leaped onto the deck, laughing and crying at the same time. "Sabo!"
"Ace!"
His beloved brother was right in front of him. Sabo cried out instinctively, tears welling up in his eyes as he ran towards Ace.
The two brothers collided in a tight embrace, then burst into tears like children, babbling incoherently, their words lost in the emotional reunion.
Koala, stunned, stepped off the ship and approached Koala. "What's going on?"
Noir smiled as he watched the two brothers roll around on the deck, their arms wrapped around each other. "A brotherly reunion. Looks like Sabo's memories have returned."
Koala stared at the two, their bond radiating warmth and affection. "Sabo and Fire Fist Ace are brothers?"
Koala nodded, a hint of resignation in her voice. "I didn't believe it at first either, but it seems to be true."
The brothers cried and talked for a long time before finally calming down and approaching the others.
Sabo, his arm around Ace's shoulder, introduced him to Koala. "Koala, this is Ace, my sworn brother from childhood!"
Koala bowed slightly. Then Sabo turned to Noir, removing his hat and speaking with sincerity. "Thank you, Noir. Ace told me you brought him here to find me."
Ace added gratefully, "Yeah! Thanks to you, Noir!"
Noir shook his head with a smile. "It was nothing, just a small favor."
Koala glanced towards the kingdom in the distance. "We still have a mission to complete. Let's head back and talk later."
"Alright!"
Sabo and Ace, reunited, were now inseparable.
All the way back to the base, they talked non-stop. If you didn't know they were brothers, you might have mistaken them for a couple...
Koala, watching her partner's attention completely captivated by Ace, pouted slightly and muttered under her breath, "They have such a strong bond..."
Noir, his sharp hearing picking up her words, turned and gave her a knowing smile.
Koala, known as the "Second Sister-in-Law," had been Sabo's childhood friend. Noir, back when he was just a fan reading the manga, had shipped them hard.
Now, in the real world, they were even wearing matching outfits...
Back at the Revolutionary Army base in the East Blue Kingdom, Dragon was waiting for them.
He watched Sabo and Ace's reunion without any visible emotion, simply patting Sabo on the shoulder.
Dragon spread out a nautical chart. "This map shows the route the Heavenly Tribute is guaranteed to take. It's also where we plan to strike."
The map was marked with several distinct icons, indicating the positions of ships.
"We'll be divided into an infiltration team and a surrounding force. For the infiltration team, we'll need to rely heavily on Mr. Noir."
Noir nodded. "No problem. Infiltrate, disable their communication devices, easy peasy!"
Ace, clinging to Sabo's arm, exclaimed excitedly, "Then Sabo and I will be part of the surrounding force! We'll wait for your signal!"
Noir facepalmed. You said you'd be with me earlier…
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