Chapter 54: Call with Sabo

"It seems they already know what happened on the Sabaody Archipelago," Ace said with a smile.

Aside from that, Ace couldn't think of any other reason why two powerful CP0 agents would retreat without a word after seeing him.

"Forget it." He shook his head, then looked at the girl beside him and smiled. "So, Miss Koala of the Revolutionary Army, can you tell me why the World Government is chasing you here?"

"What do you want?" Koala asked warily, stepping back slightly as if Ace was about to do something to her.

"You don't have to be so cautious, Miss Koala. I may not be a revolutionary, but Bartholomew Kuma and I are acquainted," Ace replied with a grin.

"Bartholomew Kuma?" Her guard lowered a bit upon hearing the name, though suspicion still lingered in her eyes.

"Oh, and I also happen to know Sabo. We're very close—though he may not remember that right now," Ace added casually.

"Sabo-kun?" Koala blinked in surprise, the suspicion in her eyes fading further. "What's your relationship with Sabo? Why haven't I heard him mention you before?"

Koala knew that Sabo had lost his childhood memories due to a serious injury, but seeing Ace speak so sincerely, she couldn't help but believe him.

"We're brothers," Ace said with a soft smile. "We drank sake together and became sworn brothers when we were kids. I'm the eldest."

"You're actually Sabo-kun's brother?" Koala looked him up and down, clearly stunned. Then she quickly pulled out her Den Den Mushi. "Hold on a moment. Let me confirm."

"Den Den Mushi—connect me to Sabo," she said into the receiver.

Sabo's voice came through shortly after. "This is Sabo."

"Sabo-kun, it's Koala," she said quickly.

"Oh, Koala. How are things? Did you manage to retrieve the item—"

"Let's talk about that later. I met someone on Fish-Man Island who claims to be your sworn brother."

"Huh?" There was a brief pause from Sabo. "My sworn brother? Who?"

"His name is Portgas D. Ace. He's a pirate."

"Ace…" Sabo fell silent for several seconds. "I don't remember anyone by that name. Can you put him on?"

"Of course." Koala handed the Den Den Mushi to Ace.

Ace leaned toward the receiver. "Yo, Sabo. It's me, Ace. You doing alright?"

"I… I don't remember you. Are you really my sworn brother?" Sabo asked, a note of hesitation in his voice.

His feelings were conflicted. Part of him longed for the past he couldn't recall. Another part feared that Ace might be lying, putting Koala and the Revolutionary Army at risk.

"I've missed you all these years, Sabo." Ace went quiet for a moment, then began recounting everything—how the three of them had grown up in the Grey Terminal, how they'd trained and fought together, how they drank sake and swore brotherhood under the stars, and how they'd dreamed of freedom on the high seas with Luffy.

Though Sabo had no recollection of any of it, as Ace spoke, a strange warmth flooded his chest. His body trembled, and tears began falling silently from his eyes.

The instincts of the heart and soul don't lie. Even if the memories were gone, Sabo knew—he knew—Ace was telling the truth.

"Ace… can I call you that?" he asked hesitantly, voice choked.

"Of course not," Ace said sternly. "I'm the big brother. Call me Brother Ace!"

"…" Sabo instinctively resisted that, and decided to change the subject. "Ace… Even if I don't remember our past, I believe you. And since you've been keeping tabs on me, you must know who I am now, right?"

"Yeah. Dragon's disciple and Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. You've become quite the big shot," Ace teased.

"You really do know," Sabo said, his voice turning serious. "Ace, I need to ask a favor. Koala has something extremely important with her. CP0 is hunting her down. I can't leave my current post. Can you protect her for a while?"

"Of course. We're brothers," Ace agreed without hesitation. "But… what exactly is she carrying that warrants CP0's involvement?"

"Ask Koala yourself. She'll tell you."

"…Ace, I really look forward to the day we meet again."

With that, the call ended.

Far away in the New World, on a small chaotic island, Sabo stared up at the sky as he held the receiver, tears still flowing down his cheeks.

He hadn't ended the call because of any mission. He was afraid… afraid that if he kept talking, he wouldn't be able to resist dropping everything and rushing to Ace's side.

"Me too, Sabo… I want to see you again so badly." Ace wiped his eyes and handed the Den Den Mushi back to Koala.

"Moshi moshi? Sabo-kun?" Koala called into the receiver a few times, then pouted. "Ugh! I still had more to say."

"He's probably busy," Ace said, then turned to her with a more serious expression. "So, now can you tell me why CP0 is chasing you?"

Koala hesitated, then reached into her cloak and pulled out a thick notebook. She handed it to Ace and said, "These are the research notes of Dr. Vegapunk—the World Government's top scientist."

"…What?" Ace's expression turned to shock. He flipped through the pages briefly, only to find most of the content far too complex for him to understand. He casually handed it back and lifted Koala to her feet.

"No wonder the World Government is panicking. This thing must be a nightmare for them."

"Of course it is. We're revolutionaries, after all," Koala said proudly.

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