The sun had barely risen when they left the hideout, the first gentle rays just beginning to brush against the tops of the trees.
Dew clung stubbornly to the grass, glistening like scattered diamonds under the pale morning light, while mist drifted low across the forest floor, making the world seem dreamlike, as if the trees themselves were still caught between slumber and waking. The newborn sunlight bathed the looming mountain in a soft, muted gold, casting long, stretching shadows behind the children as they trudged along the winding paths of Mt. Colubo.
Sabo carried a large, overstuffed backpack, meticulously packed by Dadan the previous night. His iconic blue top hat perched a little askew on his messy blond hair, and his trusted iron pipe was tied tightly across the back of his pack, ready at a moment's notice. His steps were steady, but every few moments, his fingers twitched anxiously at his sides, betraying the nerves he tried so hard to conceal.
They did not talk much as they walked. Only Luffy, ever the chaotic ball of sunshine, broke through the quiet with his usual antics. He hummed strange, tuneless melodies under his breath, occasionally darting off to poke at bugs or scoop up a particularly interesting stick, before scampering back to the group with a grin, utterly unbothered by the mood.
Before too long, they arrived at the spot Naru had scouted out the day before, a small, hidden clearing near the edge of a steep cliff that overlooked the vast, shimmering coastline. Thick trees crowded around them, their heavy boughs providing shelter and cover, but through gaps in the foliage, the children could glimpse the silhouette of a ship waiting patiently in the cove below, its form half-shrouded by the clinging morning fog.
And there, standing at the edge of the clearing with his hands clasped loosely behind his back and his piercing eyes fixed on the distant horizon, was the man himself.
Monkey D Dragon.
Today, he was not wearing his usual battered cloak. The morning breeze played with the edges of his plain, dark clothes, and the green tattoo curling down the left side of his face seemed to shimmer faintly in the early light. Dragon stood as still and unyielding as stone, yet everything about him radiated awareness, power, and quiet tension.
"You're here early," Naru said, stepping forward without hesitation.
Dragon let out a soft in acknowledgement, before his intense gaze settling on the smallest figure trailing behind her. His expression remained mostly impassive, but something unmistakable shifted in his eyes, something softer, something far more human than the Revolutionary leader was usually known for.
Unliked what h had expected, maybe anger or resentment, but Luffy did not restrain himself.
Without his sister's warning glare to stop him, the boy walked right up to Dragon and looked up with pure curiosity.
"You're our dad? Wow, you're so tall!"
Dragon blinked, visibly thrown off. That was not the reaction he had prepared himself for.
Luffy turned to his sister, eyes wide with wonder. "Nee-chan, will I be as tall as Dad when I grow up?"
Naru's lips curved into a faint smile. "If you obediently eat all your food, including the vegetables you keep trying to hide under your plate, then yes," she said lightly. "The possibility is there."
Glancing at Dragon's height and recalling Garp's towering frame, she added, "With both Grandpa and Dad's blood, you'll probably end up a walking tree."
A flicker of amusement touched Dragon's face, subtle but unmistakable. He did not comment, but a faint glint of humor softened his usually stoic expression.
"Yosh! I'll eat more meat and veggies from now on!" Luffy declared with bright determination.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Ace muttered from behind, earning a snicker from Sabo.
For a moment, peace settled over them, fragile but real. The mist swirled softly between the trees, and the faint crash of waves below filled the quiet.
Then Dragon's gaze returned to Luffy, his expression tightening ever so slightly. "Luffy," he said, his tone even but careful, "do you resent me?"
The question caught everyone off guard. Luffy blinked, tilting his head. "Huh?"
Dragon's voice grew quieter, roughened by something unspoken. "Because I have not been a good father. To you or your sister."
Luffy frowned thoughtfully, scratching his cheek. "But… you haven't been bad to us either, right?"
For once, the mighty Dragon was at a loss for words. His mouth opened slightly, then closed again. Even Naru raised a brow, surprised by the simplicity of her brother's answer, and how easily it cut through the weight of guilt in the air.
Whatever Dragon had been ready to say dissolved into silence. All he managed, finally, was a rough, almost strained, "Yeah."
His eyes shifted to Sabo then, sharp and assessing, though not unkind. It was a look that seemed to measure the boy's spirit rather than his strength.
Sabo straightened instinctively under that gaze, fighting the urge to fidget, his heart pounding in his chest.
Dragon gave a slight nod.
"Are you ready?" he asked quietly.
Sabo swallowed hard before answering. His hands curled into fists at his sides, then loosened.
"Yes, sir!" he declared, the words bursting out with his usual fierce energy.
Dragon inclined his head again, an unspoken approval in the motion, then turned toward the narrow trail leading down to the hidden cove. His dark figure moved through the mist, sure and silent, as the ship below waited with sails half-unfurled.
Sabo lingered for a final heartbeat. He turned toward Ace, Luffy, and Naru, his gaze sweeping over them like he was trying to memorize everything. Their faces, their stances, even the flickering light in their eyes.
Ace was the first to move. He grabbed Sabo in a quick, rough hug and thumped him hard on the back. "Don't slack off, rich boy," he muttered, his voice gruff but trembling slightly at the edges.
Before Sabo could reply, Luffy threw himself into the hug too, wrapping his arms tightly around Sabo's waist. "Come back soon, Sabo! And bring lots of stories!"
Sabo laughed softly, ruffling Luffy's hair until it stuck out even more wildly. His chest ached, full and heavy. "I will," he promised.
Then he turned to Naru.
She did not say anything. She just smiled. That familiar, lopsided grin that crinkled her eyes and said everything her voice might have broken on. A smile that held pride and sadness and strength all at once.
Sabo smiled back, a little crooked, a little wobbly, but shining nonetheless.
"I'll make you proud, Nee-chan," he said, the words coming out rougher than he meant, thick with emotion.
"You already do, idiot," Naru replied, her voice low and thick with barely restrained feeling, before reaching out and ruffling his blond hair affectionately, the same way she always did when she wanted to say more but couldn't.
With a final lingering glance at them, his family, Sabo squared his shoulders, inhaled deeply, and ran after Dragon, his figure quickly disappearing down the winding trail, swallowed by mist and the whisper of the trees.
The three siblings stayed where they were, staring after him long after he was gone.
Below them, the ship unfurled its sails, the Revolutionary Army insignia catching the morning wind like wings ready to take flight. Slowly, the vessel drifted away, shrinking into the horizon until it became nothing more than a speck against the brightening blue.
Ace shoved his hands deep into his pockets, scowling hard enough to hide the ache in his eyes. Luffy's fingers twitched restlessly at his side, like his heart wanted to chase after the ship even if his body could not.
Naru stood between them, quiet and steady, her hand resting lightly on Luffy's head, grounding him without a word.
They could not stop Sabo, no matter how much every part of them wanted to. His path had called to him, just as one day their own would.
With one final look at the horizon, Naru turned. "Come on," she said softly, her voice calm but sure. "Let's go home."
Ace lingered for a heartbeat, then sighed and followed, his shoulders tight but moving forward.
Luffy was the last to turn away. He stared at the distant sea, fists trembling, eyes shining with stubborn light. Then, taking a deep breath, he spun around and ran after them, calling out both their names, his voice bright and unbroken.
And so they walked back into the forest together, three against the world, just a little lonelier than before, but still, always, together.