One-Shots: One Piece | One Piece x Reader

Sabo x reader | Promise Me This

"Really?"

"Yep!"

With both hands on his hips, a blonde boy with gappy teeth along with a top hat too large for his head faced you as he stood at the edge of the water. Your eyes lit up as you watched his determined features with wonder. His smile was brighter than the sun when he flashed you a grin, humming contently with a nod.

"No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, (y/n)."

Promises were things in this world which were often broken. It can be because of laziness or defeat, lack of interest or conflict. Yet, nothing hurt more than having one broken before your eyes.

Since you were little, the boys Ace and Luffy who you had grown up with were always yelling about wanting to be pirates. However, you had no interest in those who broke laws: you always found it unsavoury and unjustifiable. Thus, to your grandfather's complete and utter joy, you enrolled into the marines.

"Fujitora, sir. We will be arriving shortly."

Both hands behind your back, you watched as the man you addressed paused momentarily in his action of slurping up noodles. He finished his mouthful and hummed in acknowledgement.

"Thank you, Vice Admiral."

Nodding curtly, you turned on your heels as your gaze travelled the other two vice admiral who were stood about on board. Your ship was pulling unbelievably close the the island of Dressrosa now, not even a few more yards than a hundred as the docks came into sight.

You did tell Maynard that running head first into a Colosseum to oversee which criminals were participating in the fight wasn't a good idea. For a man who was a Vice Admiral, he wasn't practical, nor did he like to listen. You only rolled your eyes at the thought of the man as you strolled the streets, watching out for anything that caught your eye.

"Hey, Ace, c'mon!"

Ace gave you a glare from over his shoulder as you stood with clenched fists behind him. The look on your face was scrunched in anger, clenching your teeth as Sabo tried to drag his friend away.

"When you get into real trouble one day, I won't be there to help you neither will I want to!"

"Who said I needed you around, idiot!"

The freckled boy stuck out his tongue, giving you a rude look before Sabo pulled him away from you. Garp was going to visit in the afternoon, you didn't like seeing him beat the both of Ace and Luffy - it seemed unreasonable. However if they just saw the bright side of being a marine, they wouldn't have to deal with that kind of thing.

Ironically, those words you said as a nine-year-old girl were the ones which fate decided to cling to. You weren't around when he had been captured and taken in; too busy off in West Blue where the marine base you conducted was placed. When you were called up to the front lines of the war, you didn't help him. Not because you didn't want to, of course. You tried too hard to keep in tears which begged only to fall that day, watching and not helping him: as useless as air itself.

Strolling the streets were all kinds of different toys, holding hands with the people or simply playing around as if they some kind of street-performing act. You were simply ignored - not for any reason - just for the fact no one in the land of Love and Passion cared for marines much. They knew you wouldn't cause them harm and knew their place. Turning, you came down a thin alleyway which lead off the main road. It looked like a good idea, to stray away from where all the chaos was happening.

Your heeled boots and the rustle of your coat on your shoulders were the only things that you could hear - apart from the distant call of laughter and the people of Dressrosa out on the streets. The muffled business caused a slight headache to clamp your mind, making you walk faster away to where everything seemed more quiet. Despite being a marine, you liked your quiet. It was exactly why you liked your West Blue base when you were a captain; now a Vice Admiral of New Marineford Headquarters where the chaos was constant.

"(Y/N)! MOVE!"

Luffy screamed at you when you had jumped in front of him as he thundered across the ice-stricken battlefield. Even from where you stood, meters away, you could see the tense expression on his face as you raised your fist. The gloves around your hands creaked in tension as you prepared to fight. The young captain knew how good of a hand to hand fighter you were, how it wouldn't be easy to get past you. But what broke your barrier was the strained cry of his words.

"WE LOST ONE ALREADY, AND WE WONT LOSE ACE, EITHER!"

Your eyes widened and a pang of pain slapped you across the heart.

"No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, (y/n)."

Suddenly, you snapped out of your thoughts as an oncoming sense of familiarity washed over you. You halted in your step, one foot before the other as you took a quick look to each side of you. There were tall walls as buildings towered each side of the alley, darkening it to an large extent that you can see too far ahead of you. The twinge which coursed through your veins told you that what you were feeling wasn't your observation haki, but your heart. Even when your stone serious expression was still on your face in that moment, it cracked upon hearing a voice from ahead.

"Sorry to be a thorn in the side, Vice Admiral,"

Stepping out of the dark into the only slither of light which bounced off of a high-up window, you could see the outline of what looked to be a top hat.

"But I think there just might be something you will want to hear."

There, shrouded in the small light with a bright grin on his face, was the man you thought was long gone. Your eyes went wide and you could feel your top lip quiver ever so slightly as you looked on in complete shock. Breath catching, you held a gloved hand to your mouth as you tried to find words.

"S-S... Sabo?"

The bright grin widened, a chuckle escaping his lips as tears crowded your eyes.

"The one and only."

With a giant leap, you threw yourself head first into the man - sending him barrelling backwards with you attached to his middle. Your heart thumped loudly even when he grunted, his back hitting the floor.

He was real.

This wasn't a dream.

There was no hesitation in your being as you placed both hands on his smooth and scarred cheeks, looking into his eyes with tears lining yours.

"I-I can't believe this is real..."

"I did say I will always be there for you."

You had no clue as to what possessed your body as you leaned down and smashed his lips against yours, feeling him freeze in shock. As you kissed him, his hand tentatively wrapped around your waist as tears clouded your eyes before you parted with a sob.

"Please promise me this,"

Sabo was still mildly shocked by your reaction but settled into it quickly as he sat up, smiling as he held you in his lap. Your smile showed for the first time in years, lighting up your features.

"Don't ever leave again."

Chucking lightheartedly, the man traced circles under your coat on your back.

"Never. But for now, we have some catching up to do."

~~~

02.03.2021

Author's Notes

Hey!

I hope you guys are enjoying the shots.

Just to inform you, I last opened requests a month ago and said I would open it again this month. However, unfortunately I am too busy, so it will have to be another time; my serious apologies.

I update (mostly) daily, so please don't think I am ignoring you guys. I just have a lot of work to be doing, that it all.

Have a wonderful day and stay healthy!

Cya

- TransponderSnail