Luffy stood at the window, his face full of surprise as he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Is...is it Sabo? Is it really Sabo?"
He stepped onto the windowsill and cautiously entered the room, as if afraid that any sudden movement might shatter this beautiful scene. As he drew closer to Sabo, Luffy's eyes suddenly became moist.
"Yes, it's really...Sabo!"
Even after so many years, Luffy recognized Sabo instantly and was certain of his identity.
"Great! You're not dead yet!"
Luffy took a large step forward, reaching out to wake Sabo and let him see who it was. But as he approached, Sabo, lying on the bed, suddenly had an expression of extreme pain, his features contorting as if he were fighting a nightmare. He seemed to hear Luffy's voice or feel his presence...
At that moment, Sabo, who had been unconscious for a long time, moved his fingers. Then he began to murmur softly in his sleep:
"Luffy...Luffy..."
The voice, though faint, seemed to travel through time and space from their childhood days and into Luffy's mind. Luffy's face showed a mix of excitement, doubt, and disbelief. But eventually, he took a deep breath and composed himself.
"It's me! Sabo!"
Luffy stepped closer to Sabo's bedside. Sensing that Sabo's condition wasn't good, he uncharacteristically stayed quiet, patiently waiting for Sabo to wake up.
Meanwhile, in Sabo's dream, a flood of memories burst from his mind, engulfing him. Yet, in the darkness, a familiar but distant voice held him like a chain.
"Ah!!!"
The sudden influx of memories caused Sabo a splitting headache. In reality, he let out a scream while still unconscious. His eyes trembled slightly, forcing themselves open.
"What happened!?"
*Creak*
Bang...
Just seconds after Sabo's scream, the bedroom door burst open, and a metal washbasin crashed to the floor, spilling warm water everywhere. The sound of rapid footsteps followed.
Koala, who heard Sabo's scream, rushed into the room, her face showing a mix of eagerness and worry. She immediately noticed something unusual. Seeing Luffy standing there, she quickly drew her gun and pointed it at him.
"You...who are you!? What are you doing to Sabo!?"
"Uh..."
Due to his rubber fruit ability, Luffy was immune to the bullets of this era. Facing the gun, he remained calm and said bluntly:
"I'm Luffy, I'm...Sabo's younger brother."
Although Luffy's tone was calm, no one knew how excited he was after saying those words.
Sabo!!! It's really Sabo!!! Thank goodness, Sabo is still alive!
Even though Luffy didn't know what had happened to Sabo, he could see Koala's concern for him. A contagious smile spread across his face.
"Sabo's...brother!?"
Koala was startled upon hearing Luffy's words, her face showing astonishment. The gun lowered slightly, no longer pointing at Luffy.
"Are you really Sabo's brother?" she asked uncertainly. "Why are you here?"
Luffy scratched his head and replied, "I came to the city to find something to eat!"
"Oh, and I also have some bread for Sabo!"
He smiled, raising the bag in his hand and shaking the bread inside. Seeing Sabo again made him so excited that he was willing to share his food. But Koala, confused, missed the bread and focused on Luffy's words.
"You came to the city?" she asked quickly. "So, are you a resident of this island? Were you born here?"
"Huh? I'm not really sure." Luffy scratched his head again. "But Ace, Sabo, and I all lived here together. If it hadn't been for that day..."
Luffy stopped abruptly, then smiled. "I'm just glad Sabo is still alive..."
"Has Sabo been in the palace all these years?" Luffy asked, looking at Koala.
"Of course not!" Koala replied, shaking her head slightly. She stepped over to Sabo and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"No wonder Sabo fainted. I think he must have recalled something from the past..."
Koala's eyes filled with a mix of emotions as she looked at Sabo and explained to Luffy, "Luffy, right? You and Sabo haven't seen each other in many years, have you?"
"Yes, it's been seven or eight years since Sabo 'died'," Luffy said, looking nostalgic.
"Seven or eight years..." Koala murmured, thinking about the time Sabo mentioned joining the Revolutionary Army. She nodded slightly, realizing the timing was right. In other words, the boy in front of her was truly Sabo's younger brother, and Sabo was originally from the Kingdom of Goa. This explained why Sabo fainted upon arriving in the Kingdom of Goa. He was likely overwhelmed by memories.
"I really don't know whether to thank fate or the dimensional merchant," Koala muttered softly, smiling. If not for the mission from the dimensional merchant, Sabo might never have returned to the Kingdom of Goa. But why, out of all the decaying countries in the East Sea, was it the Kingdom of Goa? Perhaps James and the others had known about Sabo's past all along and issued this mission to them.
Sir James and the others are really good people!
Koala formed an image of the dimensional merchant in her mind and then looked up. But just as she was about to speak to Luffy, Sabo, who had been unconscious, clenched his fists and yelled:
"Luffy!!!"
Whoa! Sabo's eyes flew open, and a powerful aura, like a sleeping lion awakening, spread through the room, startling Luffy and Koala.
"What is this place!?"
Seeing the unfamiliar ceiling, Sabo didn't feel weak despite being unconscious. He quickly propped himself up on the bed with one hand and sat up.
Immediately, another wave of memories flooded his mind. These were the memories he was regaining.
"Luffy! Ace!" Sabo muttered. Still unable to distinguish between dreams and reality, he looked at his hands in confusion. The scenes from his dreams seemed to replay in his mind. But just when he thought the world would shatter again, a voice that filled him with joy spoke next to him.
"I'm here, Sabo!" Luffy's eyes were moist, but he didn't shed a tear. There was no need for tears when they were reunited.
"Luffy...Luffy!?" The blend of memories, dreams, and reality made Sabo's mind swirl with confusion. But it didn't matter anymore. Because Luffy was here, and Sabo remembered Luffy.
——
An hour later, in the main hall of the palace, Koala, Nami, and Carina looked on in shock as Luffy devoured food at an astonishing rate. His mouth opened half as wide as a person, stuffing himself with food much larger than his own body. The three girls exchanged glances, their eyes filled with curiosity.
'How on earth is he eating so much?' they wondered. 'Does Sabo's brother have a fourth-dimensional stomach?'
Compared to Luffy's exaggerated eating style, Sabo, who was also eating enthusiastically, seemed relatively normal. The two brothers attacked the food on the table like a whirlwind, as if they hadn't eaten in ages. If it weren't for the ample food reserves and numerous chefs at the Goa Palace, the two of them might have still been hungry.
---
"Phew~ I'm full!" Luffy exclaimed, patting his belly, now stretched into a round ball. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Sabo, though his body shape hadn't changed much, wore a lazy and content expression. With a gentle smile, he looked at Luffy and remarked, "I can't believe how much time has passed. You've grown up so much!"
"You're not the same either!" Luffy retorted with a pout, then smiled and muttered, "Ace would be happy."
Memories of the three brothers filled Luffy's mind, bringing a heartfelt smile to his face. Yet, for some reason, he had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important, though he couldn't remember what. All he could think about was how delicious the palace food was, even better than the food cooked by Makino! If possible, he'd love to eat more.
At that moment, Koala broke the silence, updating Sabo on recent events in the Kingdom of Goa. After listening, Sabo let out a long sigh of relief and smiled, "We really dodged a bullet! Thank you for your help, Koala."
He felt grateful that his coma hadn't hindered the Revolutionary Army's plans. "I'm glad you recognize my efforts!" Koala replied with a smile, clearly pleased with Sabo's praise.
"And there's more," she continued. "The leader has saved up a significant amount of funds. We're just waiting for you to trade with the dimensional merchant."
"Trade?" Sabo asked, intrigued, then smiled. "I'm really curious about what kind of Pokémon we might get."
"Pokémon?" Luffy suddenly blinked, as if recalling something important. He seemed to have forgotten about Froakie who was still stealing bread!
"This..." Luffy's expression froze as he pinched his cheek in embarrassment. 'Froakie should probably find its way here, right?'
——
Meanwhile, on the streets of the central town:
"Liepard, use random grab!" Kuro commanded, pointing forward at Froakie with a large bag of bread.
"Nyu~" Liepard nodded. In the next second, its muscles tensed, and it leaped into the air, forming a half-moon shape. Its eyes were filled with fighting spirit, and a cold light flashed from its sharp claws as it swung at Froakie.
"Froakie!? (Stop chasing me! I just took a bag of bread! Why won't you let me go!?)" Froakie's big eyes blinked as it reacted swiftly to the attack. With a whoosh, it used its lightning speed to dart across the street, narrowly avoiding the sharp claws of its pursuer.
As Liepard's claws dug into the marble floor, Froakie spun around, taking a deep breath.
"Whoosh!" It used the smoke screen ability, exhaling a thick black smoke that engulfed the entire street, shrouding it in darkness.
"Not this move again!" Kuro and Liepard grumbled in unison, leaping onto the rooftops to escape the smoke. They spotted Froakie vanishing around a corner.
However, as they were about to continue the chase, they noticed something startling at the city gate.
!!!
Kuro's eyes widened in surprise as he abandoned the pursuit, focusing instead on a man with three cigars in his mouth. Although the man wasn't in a navy uniform, Kuro recognized him instantly.
"Colonel Smoker, the commander-in-chief of LogueTown!? What's he doing here? Is the navy planning to launch an operation against the Kingdom of Goa?" Kuro's pupils dilated with fear.
Quickly, he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. Although he hadn't been with the Revolutionary Army for long, Sabo and the others had treated him well. Moreover, Kuro was known for his strategic prowess.
He quickly messaged Nami using Rotom on his mobile phone:
"Miss Nami, we have a problem! Inform Koala and the others that the navy has entered the central town! Location: Block 32 of the central town. Currently, only Navy Captain Smoker is present. The opponent is a logia devil fruit ability user. Liepard and I are unable to handle it and need immediate support!"
As Rotom's eyes on the phone flashed, Kuro breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he had successfully relayed the information. The rest was up to Nami and Koala.
"Liepard, are you up for challenging a formidable opponent?" Kuro asked, turning to Liepard.
'This opponent might make us despair…' Kuro thought.
"Nyaaro!!! (A strong opponent? I'm ready! Let's go for it!)" Liepard replied, its elegant face lighting up with determination.
(End of this chapter)