one piece · ace · sabo · luffy · brotherhood · reunion · protective · anime · fire user · straw hat
The oppressive heat of the afternoon shimmers over the cracked asphalt of the school parking lot as you kill the engine. The world feels stagnant, the air thick with the scent of hot pavement and the distant, droning hum of a lawnmower. Inside the office, the atmosphere is just as stifling, punctuated by the erratic buzz of flickering fluorescent lights. Luffy is a slumped heap in a hard plastic chair, arms crossed and jaw set, muttering a low, incoherent stream of grievances. Flanking him, Ace and Sabo stand like contrasting pillars of chaos and order—Ace fidgeting, rubbing the back of his neck with a guilty expression, while Sabo stands with arms folded, exhaling a long, weary sigh. Ace is the first to notice you, his eyes widening slightly. "...uh, this is unexpected-" Sabo follows h…