Was it the fourth time he braved the auction stage? The fifth? He was sure it was the fourth, but.....it felt like he'd had the collar around his neck for ages, though realistically he'd only been captured for a little more than a month.

The bright lights blinded him, but he glared out at the sea of white robes distasteful ornaments decorating them. He wasn't done yet, he wasn't beaten. There'd be hell to pay before he ever allowed that to happen - he inherited Ace's will, and though his powers were under lock and key at the moment he could still do his brother proud.

Numbers were shouted out, the announcer goading on the crowd. Who would get to rent him out next? A disgruntled noble who wanted to vent his frustrations? A lady noble who wanted a physical relationship with him? A hatred flickered in his stomach.

But then he thought about that little girl, whose life he held in his hands. If he acted out, her blood would be spilled. Just like that boy....

"Sold!" the announcer exclaimed. "To Saint Donquixote Mjosgard, what a surprise!"

He was led off the stage, and he clenched his hands. If only he could escape, and break out the other slaves - he just needed an opening, but they were extra cautious around Sabo. He was shoved into a cage, and he noted dimly that he was the only slave that this 'Saint Mjosgard' purchased save the little girl they used to keep him cornered. Usually, nobles purchased at least a couple of slaves of high importance, so the fact that he didn't...was strange.

The little girl was huddled in the corner of the cage, eyes cast firmly on the ground in front of her, a wan smile on her face. She hadn't once tried to speak to him. Sabo had tried, at first, but he always lapsed into silence. After all, what could he say? They were still slaves.

Soon after, the door to the cage rattled, then swung open. The first thing he saw were two pairs of fine, well made shoes. Sabo kept his eyes firmly on those shoes - the last time he looked a noble in the eye the little girl had been beaten black and blue.

And of course, his soulless smile.

He heard an intake of breath, and low murmurs. Then: "Come along now. We'll be heading to the Donquixote estate now."

He blinked, and they began walking, him and the girl behind the two Celestial Dragons. Donquixote, Donquixote.....a very familiar name to the warlord Luffy had beaten in Dressrosa. Of course, they had known the warlord's little secret, but there was a difference between knowing and having the truth slap you in the face.

"Mjosgard, look at you!" a familiar voice exclaimed, and Sabo froze. "After all this time, you're finally getting yourself a slave?"

"Ah, Saint Charlos," Mjosgard said. "Yes, well, I figured if I will have any slaves, it might as well be this one....I've heard everyone is clamoring for him."

That haughty laugh, the one he hated so damn much, rang through the air. "He's a weak thing, but an interesting toy to play with. For a human, he's remarkably fast as transportation. Especially if you threaten the little twig."

"Thank you," Mjoasgard replied, sounding strained. "I will most certainly take your advice."

Footsteps came closer until Sabo was staring at an ugly pair of green shoes. And suddenly, a hand was gripping his face tightly, forcing him to look up at the face of Saint Charlos. Sabo bit back a hiss. "You're not smiling. Smile."

Footsteps - Mjosgard - rushed forward, his companion remaining a step behind him. "Enough!" Mjosgard ordered, tone forceful. "He is my slave - you may not do with him as you please!"

Saint Charlos looked at Mjosgard, sneering. "I do what want, and I want him to smile."

"I will give him a proper punishment when we reach my estate," Mjosgard assured Charlos. "Just let him go."

Charlos snorted, then threw Sabo to the ground (Sabo wheezed, but didn't utter a single sound). "See to it that you do. I still haven't forgiven you for hitting me, you know. One would think that you're turning out like your other side of the family."

"Of...of course not," Mjosgard assured the man. "Now, we really must be on our way...."

"Whatever," Saint Charlos said. "I have to go too - and put my new slaves on display! Especially the mermaid....finally, a mermaid!"

And they quickly departed, Sabo allowing himself to breath again as they moved farther away from the Celestial Dragon.

The Celestial Dragons didn't speak as they had walked. No threats, no nothing. Sabo didn't know what to make of it - in fact, he found it vaguely worrisome. How was he supposed to keep from crossing the line if he didn't even know where the line was? It could prove very dangerous for the little girl, which meant he had to be on his best behavior.

Eventually, they reached what he supposed was the Donquixote residence. The gates swung open, and he noticed as he walked little gardens spread out on the lawn. They entered the household, and it was as if the tension were released from the air - Sabo noticed how the windows blinds were all drawn.

There was a silence, when Saint Mjosgard spoke up. "Are you hungry?" He asked, and it took Sabo a moment to realize - he was talking to the little girl. "Come along then, I think I have some food for you in the kitchen. How do you feel about apples?"

He listened as the girl mutely followed Mjosgard, but he did not let down his guard. It had to be some sort of trick, or trap....why would a Celestial Dragon treat them kindly?

He watched as feet drew near - women's shoes, so it was Mjosgard's companion. Sabo felt her hands lift up towards his neck, around the collar, and - with a click, the collar unlocked from his neck.

What.....why.......He willed himself to breath slowly, in and out. The feeling of freedom, always so hard to resist - it was its own form of torture, giving him a glimpse of what he couldn't hold, not while he was at Mariejois.

"Sabo," said a soft voice, and Sabo stilled. No, no - what was she - she couldn't be - he had to have lost it, but - "Sabo, please look at me?"

Sabo clenched his jaw. It was a trick, it had to be - it was the cruelest one yet.

"Sabo," she pleaded, her voice cracking. He could see her eyes watering with unshed tears, as they always did whenever she got emotional, be it happy, sad, or angry. "Please...."

Slowly, he lifted his eyes up. Past the white robe and past the adornments. And he met the eyes of his partner in crime, his best friend. "Koala?" he whispered.

Koala smiled at him, using one hand to wipe at her eyes, the other holding onto the collar that had rested around his neck. "Sabo," she hiccuped, tears streaming down her face despite her attempts to stop it.

He hesitantly lifted his hands - she was crying and he had to provide comfort it was Koala - but those robes....the white robes he always dreaded seeing, the rows of white from the auction. "What....how...."

Koala tossed the collar onto a table and slowly put her hand in his limp one. "It's a long story," she said thickly. "But - but I'm here undercover. I'm going to get you out of here. You and all the others. I swear it." Her voice grew enraged, and through her tear filled eyes was rage.

The same rage he felt inside himself.

Sabo took Koala quickly and enveloped her in a tight hug, her hands coming to rest on his back and he shuddered out a long breath. It was so good, to be held. How long had it been since he had felt contact? His various wounds stung, but it was worth it. Sabo tasted salt, and he realized that he too was crying.

She had come for him.

Koala had come back to the place of her nightmares....for him.

Was he even deserving of such love?

They stood there together, in the room for what felt like ages, but at the same time for only a few seconds. It wasn't enough and he wanted more, but -

"Chief," drawled out a voice, and Sabo had to keep from flinching as he reluctantly pulled away from Koala. He got the feeling that both Koala and Betty noticed. "It's good to see you again."

Sabo smiled at the commander who had entered the room. It wasn't his real smile, exactly, and he was sure Koala had figured that out by the sharp and knowing glance she sent him. "It's...it's good to see you too. Both of you."

Betty nodded and walked into the room. She was wearing a marine's uniform, the first few buttons undone. "Of course. We couldn't just leave you here, and we figured it was a good time for a jail break anyways."

"Jail break?" he asked hoarsely - it was odd to speak so freely.

"We have a whole plan," Koala answered him. "We figured that if we were coming here anyways, we might as well take the opportunity to save everyone here."

He felt almost light-headed from the flood of information, from the shock of seeing Koala here, and to see her in the clothing of a Celestial Dragon. "And the girl?" he prodded.

"Safe, don't you worry." Betty crossed her arms, Sabo recognizing the ticks Betty had when she was itching for a smoke. "She's in the kitchen with Mjosgard. He's giving her some chores to do, and some food to eat - after all, we've got to keep the ruse up until it's time to bust out of this place. That kid would probably throw you under the bus for a corn-chip, so we've no choice but to keep her in the dark."

Sabo nodded - it made sense. Slaves couldn't trust other slaves. In order to get better treatment, he had known that she'd been keeping a close eye on him.

"Come on," Koala gently nudged him. "We've got a lot to fill you in on."

Sabo kept hold of his partner's hand as Betty led them through the Celestial Dragon's house, which was startlingly humble compared to the other houses he'd been in.

Entering a bedroom, Betty threw herself onto a chair, throwing the marine hat across the room. The woman made a face. "Makes me sick wearing this thing. I don't know how you're able to wear that get-up, Koala."

Koala shrugged and looked away, biting her lip. "Yeah," she mumbled, then pulled out some clothes from the closet in the room - her usual clothes, with he frilly pink shirt, magenta skirt, and hat. Sabo sat gingerly on the bed, and Koala slowly began shedding the robe.

It wasn't as if he hadn't seen her undress before - they were partners, and it was sometimes necessary when they had to give each other immediate medical attention. At first, it'd been awkward, he would be the first admit it. She was self-conscious of her brand on her back, and himself of his burn scars. But becoming closer, it just....didn't matter so much anymore.

He thought about his own brand on his chest.

She slipped on her clothes, all but the hat. Sabo reached over and grabbed the hat. "May I?" he asked.

Koala nodded, expression serious but her eyes glinted. "You may."

Sabo stood from the bed and gently tugged her hat onto her head, reminded of every single moment she had been there for him. How she was facing her demons for him. But - though he was weakened, battered, and bruised - he wanted to be there for her, too. He wanted to face those demons with her.

"Cute," said Betty from her perch on the chair, a sliver of amusement threaded through her voice. "Now, are you ready to hear the details of the mission, baby dragon?"

The nickname 'baby dragon' threw him off for a moment - it had been so long since anyone had called him that, back when he'd still been perfecting his dragon claw technique. Betty was one of those that had mercilessly teased him about it, the fact being their leader's name was Dragon. "Oh," he forced out. It must be because of his reaction to her calling him 'Chief'. "Yes, of course."

So Betty filled him in, Koala taking a seat next to him on the bed, recounting the steps taken to get into Mariejois. She was just filling him in on how Mjosgard had offered his assistance when a beetle flew in from the window. And then more beetles.

"Leo!" Koala said, eyes sparkling. "You're back already?"

The beetles landed on the bed, and a little figure stepped forward, a bag swung over his shoulder. He dumped he contents of the bag onto the blankets, and Sabo could only stare at what looked like explosives - and not only explosives, but the kind that were usually located in the collars. "Are those what I think they are?" Sabo asked slowly.

Leo nodded proudly, and his companions also began dumping their own sacks. "Yep! Our orders were to extract all the explosives from each collar! It was hard, but nothing the Tontatta pirates couldn't handle!"

The small people - Tontattas - all cheered.

Sabo looked at Koala, who smiled at him. "The Tontatta pirates agreed to help us in getting everyone out," she said. "This is part of our plan, that way the Celestial Dragons have no leverage on anyone."

"And we had to do it without anyone finding out," Leo boasted. "Otherwise, we could get found out! But we got it done - each and every single one!"

He blinked, a hand reaching towards his bare neck. "Even mine?"

Leo nodded proudly. "Yep! We almost got caught sometimes, but we're fast - the people here are really light sleepers."

"For the Devil Fruit users," Betty continued the explanation. "We planned on completely replacing the collars with non-seastone. Mjosgard's producing those for us. We've got yours ready, but we can hold off giving that to you until absolutely necessary."

He nodded, panic subsiding. "Thanks."

She dipped her head at him. "Anyway, the date for our jail break is the next auction. That way, we can cause the most amount of damage to the Celestial Dragons, then be on our way."

Sabo frowned - even that felt strange, stemming from the fact that he'd been pasting that false smile onto his face every single day. "How are we getting out?"

"That'll be us!" Leo grinned, gesturing to his mini-fleet. "In teams, we can make sure that we can float down onto the boat and be out of here in no time!"

Koala squeezed his hand. "Don't worry," she said. "We've got a plan. All we need to do is execute it."

He smiled at her, and her eyes softened. He tilted his head in question, and she smiled back.

"There it is," she murmured quietly.

Betty coughed into her hand. "Damn, you guys. Not all of use are telepathic."

Koala flushed. "What, we're not -"

"Telepathic?" Sabo asked. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"It's just-" Koala sighed frustratedly. "We just-"

Betty snorted. "You guys are like an old married couple."

"Old?" Sabo asked, falling somewhat back into his groove.

"Married?" Koala stared at Betty.

At that moment, the door opened and Mjosgard walked in. Koala gave his hand a squeeze, and he realized that he'd tensed up.

Mjosgard quietly shut the door behind him, then turned to Sabo and gave him a low bow. "I know that words may be meaningless," the man began. "But I would like to apologize for the actions of the others residing in this city - they have all forgotten that they are human, and while that is no excuse.....I would like to formerly offer my services in your endeavor to free the poor people that are kept in chains here!"

Sabo blinked. The man's face was scrunched up - in regret? In anger at his own people? And while everything inside Sabo was screaming at himself to not trust Mjosgard, Sabo nodded. "I accept. Any help is appreciated."

The man rose from his bow after a moment and nodded towards Sabo, deadly serious. "I will follow your lead, Chief of Staff."

That time, Sabo did not flinch. It was no taunt, nor jibe - but it was his title, and it was his responsibility to own up to it.

"What about the kid?" Betty asked.

"I gave her a meal, and am having her mop the kitchens," Mjosgard said, directing his attention to the commander. "Nothing too strenuous, just enough to keep her busy and unsuspecting."

"Good," Betty said. "We can't afford to mess this up."

"Anyways," Mjosgard said. "You may all use my estate as you please, though to be safe I believe it would be best if we all remained inside, away from prying eyes. And of course, avoid he kitchens as well."

"Thank you," Sabo said to the man. "We all appreciate your assistance."

"I'm just glad I can do something to help," said Mjosgard.

Betty stood up with a sigh and scooped up the explosives on the bed. "We'll leave you to get some rest. I'm going to go decide where to put these bombs, and probably drink a few shots. Call if you need me. Leo, let's go."

Betty strode out the door, grabbing Mjosgard along with her. A parade of Tontatta's beetle-back flew through the air behind her, and then Sabo and Koala were alone.

Koala began to rise from her seat, and Sabo grabbed her hand. She looked down at him, and nodded.

"I'll stay."

Sabo let out a breath of relief, then at Koala's insistence shed his own dirty rags, replacing them with cotton pajamas. He slowly slid into bed, the weight of the blankets feeling out of place. Koala flicked the light switch, and the room became dark.

The weight of the bed shifted as Koala climbed in on the opposite side - the left side. She always got the left side, and he got the right. Sabo turned onto his side, his back facing Koala, knowing that her back was also faced towards him.

They were partners. Through thick and thin, who could you trust if you couldn't trust your partner?

And unlike all the other nights he had spent awake and cold, and so alert, Sabo was out like a light - after all, there was no need to remain on the defensive. Koala had his back, and he had hers.

The week he had free was relatively uneventful. He spent some time reviewing the blueprints for Mariejois to determine the best places to plant the bombs. He also coordinated with Mjosgard in order to procure weapons, which had been found oddly through the efforts of Monkey D. Garp.

He wasn't sure how to feel about that. But he put those mixed feelings behind him - what mattered was the mission, and if the man was willing to help, then so let him.

Through the direction of Betty, the weapons were put all around the city under the guise of 'protection' for the Celestial Dragons. The stage was set for a revolution.

When he wasn't planning a revolution, Sabo mostly tended to his own wounds. Koala was always there, maybe sensing his need for someone familiar, or maybe for her own reasons. Whatever it was, he was glad she stayed.

Aside from Koala being with him, he was most excited that he was actually able to eat. He was finally able to indulge in his insane appetite he claimed he got from Luffy and Ace - Mjosgard had looked on in awe (and maybe disgust...) as Sabo devoured a whole course meant for five people while Koala and Betty continued on like normal. Leo and the Tontattas thought it was amusing how much he could eat, inducing comparisons between him and Luffy.

He had to admit, it made him feel happy hearing people point out similarities between him and his brother. So often he had thought that he was the odd one out, but the reality? They were all the odd ones out.

However, like all good things, his week with Koala came to an end. Yet where there is an ending, there is always a beginning.

It was time to escape the hell-hole.