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Chapter Text

Rocks hadn't known where she was born, she knew that her family had been traveling almost all the time. She grew up on the seas and made the most out of that, allowing the wind to give her direction and the water to guide her through life. She had loved it, to the point that in her eyes there was nothing better than being there. Thank being able to be whatever she wanted to be. 

Or that had been the intention, up until one point where they ran into the wrong kind of people and her parents were killed. Slaughtered as if they were little more than cattle that needed to be culled. Cut down for something she didn't even know they were or had been, her life collapsing in a single moment when first her father and then her mother fell. Her mother chosing to scream at her to run and never look back, which made it impossible to get out of the line of those who had killed her father.

Rocks remembered screaming for her mother, seeing her mother's eyes trained on her, before a spray of red took over and darkness took her. 

"Where am I", she had asked as soon as she came to. Knowing, even without it being said, that both her parents weren't alive anymore. An ache in her heart told her as much, making it clear that regardless of what happened, she was alone to deal with it now.

A woman was sitting next to her, her face closed off in a way that spoke of her knowing what was going on. The clothes she was wearing as well as the bruise on her face more than telling as to what had happened to her. She looked strong, but in a way that didn't always cut it in this world. They wouldn't stop now, and she hated that whatever happened, Rocks  might develop the same kind of look in her eyes. Looking at the woman again, she swallowed, "Where are we?"

The woman gave a sad smile, "We're on a slave ship sailing for Sabaody where we'll be sold. It isn't often they find D's, my dear, even less so when they're still able to try and tame them."

When the older woman moved, Rocks saw the collar on her neck, feeling on her own she found one like it there as well. She hated slavery, the fact that she was reduced to one ate at her. The knowledge that her parents were dead. That they too had been killed, someone figuring out they were D's and killing the adults for that alone. Young as she was, Rocks knew she wouldn't be able to get out of here, she wouldn't be able to escape and she hated that the most about her situation.

The older woman appeared again, smiling that same sad smile. Rocks knew she was a D as well, she hoped that this wasn't the last time he saw her, "What's your name", she asked. To at least be able to remember her, to mourn her if need be.

"Monkey D. Wyvern, little one. What about yourself", Wyvern had asked, making Rocks introduce herself as well. A soft smile on her face as she at least had a cousin there to support her, to keep an eye on her however long that might be. Knowing that despite losing one family, she would have another there for a little while longer.

Sabaody was everything that she believed it would be, in the worst sense of the word. It was fake, with people pretending it was all alright despite those False Gods running around. Despite people dying at their feet because of something that often wasn't even their fault. In their mind it was clear they were happy they weren't there instead. Which, come to think of it, made it all that much worse as you could be in that place in the blink of an eye.

She and Wyvern were sepperated, something Rocks tried to fight. She didn't want to loose family once more, didn't want to be alone in this world that didn't treat her kindly. At least until Wyvern interveined and told her *why*. Why they were being led to two different rooms, "It's bacause you're too young for what they have in store for women like me, darling. They don't... You have to know that Celestial Dragons can't procreate among themselves. They need an *outsider* for that, they use breeding mares and you're too young for that. You haven't bled yet, so you're safe for now."

Part of her was happy for that, and another part hated it. She could see the other women in the room with Wyvern. Could see the way all of them had dead eyes as if they knew what was coming, or they had been through this before. Some of the women there did look like they had a baby at one point. It was proven that they were able to procreate, so why not use them for those bastards up on the Sky. 

To know that despite looking down on people from 'below' they did need them to have children. It kind of made sense to know that the women up there were infertile, so cutting off their supply to fertile women would make them die out within two generations. But that wouldn't be for now, she would see it come to fruction, just as she knew she would see Marigeose burn before she took her final breath. 

Rocks was lead to a room full of children, all of them young enough to be put to work but not old enough to be bred or to be used as working force in any other capacity. There were no men here, that much was clear. They had been led to once again another room, made into working slaves that would need to work until they dropped. Wyvern had whispered someting like that to her, when they said goodbye. Why they were all seppareted and what happened once boys, or girls, reached a certain age. 

On top of that, there were no babies or elderly there either, she didn't know what happened to them, but the teartracks on some people's faces indicated that it wasn't anything good that happened. In a morbit way it made sense, babies needed to be taken care of and couldn't be put to work. The elderly were the same, as they could work but wouldn't be worth the money used t purchase them. Knowing that this is what they were seen as, as nothing more than cattle or means to an end, burt in a way that had her yearning even more to set it all on fire.

Nothing about this was good, but at least they were alive. If one could call this alive, the eyes of some of those around her indicated that they weren't alive for now, that they had died when whoever took them killed those around them.

Due to her age and general desposition, Rocks was happy she had been seen as a boy. Taken on as slaves for a household in Marigeose. Bought by someone who had been reveared with respect, the leader of the Gods' Knights, as well as the man's son. Both of them there to choose slaves to put to work for the son, in an effort to make him have his own flock so to say, in an effort to make the future move towards his own house much easier. She wasn't touched inapropietly, not like some of the other girls had to endure. No doubt because she didn't look like girl right now.

Young as she was, it helped that she was looking quite slender without the typical softness to her face girls often had. It helped her righ now, even if she couldn't see it like that just yet. Looking like this protected her in a way, made sure that whatever happened, at least she'd be spared from that part.

Sir Figarland, and his son, Garling, took her away. They choose another few slaves that no one wanted. Making it clear that they were viewed as being of a lesser status than some of the Celestial Dragons present. On top of that, it became clear they were something else when they didn't wear the fishbowls the others wore. That didn't comfort her in the slightest, she didn't know what to think about all of this and despite the rage she was feeling at being robbed of her freedom, that didn't take away that she knew she couldn't take on any of them right now. So, she kept her head down and followed along.

"Just keep you head down, they don't know and as long as they don't know you might just get out of here", she whispered to herself. Not fully believing it, but she needed to believe something or she'd despair. 

She didn't want to despair, even less so when everything that happened to her only made it clearer that she wanted to see the place burn. She wanted to be there when the world was revolutionized and a new chapter was started. She couldn't do that if she were dead.

Garling did look at her, as if he had heard her, but he didn't make any mention of it. That alone made her like him a little bit more. He was young too, so maybe that meant he had the potential to be something else. To not be so clustered to the dogma these people believed. Maybe, in time, he'd be worthy of supporting her. Maybe he'd even set her free.

As she found out, Garling was indeed not too bad. He never did put his slaves to very hard labour. They still wore their collar and they had to pretend more often then not. But as soon as he was alone with them he lightened up. What Rocks also noticed was that Garling kept looking at her, something calculating in his eyes. Something that made her want to get to know him better. 

"What's with the look", she asked one evening. Shocked when he revealed he knew she was a girl, but wouldn't say anything, "I know what happens to girls once they become a certain age and I don't want that to happen to you".

The way he said it made it clear he didn't agree with that, but that he didn't know how to put a stop to it. So he helped her hide, made sure her clothes started hiding her curves, brought bindings to keep her chest flat, so no one outside of their household noticed her being a woman. No one noticed it when she started to bleed.

Until someone did notice and Garling had to treat her more harsly. Making it seem like he was *using* her for her body and she hated it. Rocks wasn't able to look at him because of that, despite growing fond of him it was the way he treated her in the public eye that made it difficult. When she mentioned as much, he told her that she should be grateful.

"They took me from my family, they took me from my home, and I should be grateful? Don't make me laugh", she had hissed at him when he tried to explain. Hissing at him that nothing good came out of the Celestial Dragons or Marigeose and she would see it burned to the ground in her lifetime. 

She was fifteen now and part of her knew why Garling was doing this, being that he was only just older than her. But that didn't make it easier, those feelings of helplessness from before making a reapearance as well as the promise she made to herself the moment she found out Wyvern died. The older D had died in childbirth to some bastard child of those False Gods, she couldn't want that. She would die before she let them take her like that.

Garling comforted her, or at least made an effort to try and comfort her, whispering that he wouldn't let anyone take her. Not without a fight and even less so when he knew she would kill anyone else who took her. For all that she was a slave she didn't let that stop her from using every opporunity to train, to become stronger, to at one point break these chains binding her. To her it felt like hope that he couldn't continue to give her. A point in the future they didn't know would come. 

Until she turned sixteen and was now seen as an adult. The world around her realized this too and something did change when she was taken away from Garling's household. His father keeping a hand on the blond teen's shoulder, stopping him from following after Rocks as she was lead towards one of those False Gods. As the man leared at her, making it clear what he wanted to do with her once they were alone. 

She knew she had grown up beautiful, had seen and heard Garling tell her that more than once. Especially on those moments when they had laid together, when she had mentioned that at one point (despite him not wanting to) she would be taken and her first time should be with someone who cared. So he agreed, taking her to bed, loving her in his own way, and giving her that at least.

Rocks looked back once, before she turned her bacl to him, not knowing what would happen now. But knowing that despite it all, she would *fight* to get her freedom back. 

Saint Cherleck didn't even introduce himself, he brought her to his home and had slaves back before ordering a ship to be prepared as he took his new whore to see the world one last time before she'd be bound to his bed. His sleezy grin made it clear he believed he was doing her a favour. More than one slave looked at her in pity, knowing that he would be willing to take her outside of Marigeose one more time. Rocks tried to appear indiferent, not wanting to give anything away. The knowledge that she would be outside of Marigeose brought her joy, she'd be able to act now and she was willing to do so, regardless of what happened because of that.

"You are indeed beautiful, I couldn't let that brat have you, not with those looks. You're mine now, woman, and I do tend to take care of those I consider mine", he whispered in her ear as they sailed the seas. The wind flowing around her while the sea brought her purpose. 

When Saint Cherleck took her to bed, or tried to take her to bed, that night Rocks was ready. Making sure that she had something to stab him with. Never giving him a chance to call out and pretending to moan so that each and every sound anyone did hear could be mistaken as the Master taking his new pleasure slave. She hated this, but couldn't help but grin as the light left the man's eyes. As he died there, with his pants on his ankles and nothing to show for it. She took a peak and was very dissapointed by what she did see.

Luck had it that he had the keys on hand, making her rummage through his pockets before unlocking the color for the first time in eight years. Rubbing at the raw skin on her neck before she wandered into the bathroom to shower. To make sure that she was clean in what felt like ages, bidning her chest and dressing herself in something resembling normal clothes. She'd get others as soon as she's able. For now, she'd make sure that she had control over this ship, made it hers and made those bastards at Marigeose fear her very name.

The knife she had used to kill Saint Cherleck was also used to kill the guards. The man didn't even bring God's Knights with him, only a skeleton band of slaves and a couple of marines. None of which posed a treat for her. 

Slaves she encountered, she freed, before offering them a place on her crew or to be placed on the first inhabited island they encountered for them to find their own freedom. Some of them joined, but not all of them. Some even just collasped as soon as they were freed, not being able to deal with living and thinking for their own again. 

"May Mother Ocean bring you to your final resting place", she would utter as she gave them a sea burial. Not knowing when they would reach land and not wanting to have the corpses rot here. None of the Marines or the Noble was given the same curtesy. She just threw them overboard and was done with it. They had chosen this path and she had no intention of giving them proper burial rites.

That was the start of her fame on these seas, world did travel at one point when Saint Cherleck never did return to Marigeose but his ship was seen in several harbours. Her bounty was published and she laughed, very loudly at the look of it. Everything was pointing towards them trying to downplay it, like it had been an accident. 

All until she attacked a slave ship and took it down, gathering more crew from those captured and making a name for herself for the D that she was. 

She ran into all kinds of people during her travels, those that dreamed like she did, those that wanted the same thing she did and those that she believed would do the best they could to change the world for the better. Welcoming most of those in her crew, she found herself wondering how Garling ws doing. 

Maybe it was because they were both blonds, or because Newgate actually cared for her, but they landed in bed together. For all that Newgate didn't let her boss him around, he did listen when he needed to. He was there for her when she needed him, even if she did laugh at his idea of seeing a family as trasure. 

Those nights were amazing, leaving her sore and enjoying the life she had build for herself. 

Even more so when she picked up Linlin and Kaido, both who had been send to kill her and joined her instead. The siblings she didn't know she needed, even if Linlin's idea of marriage ws just so she could precreate didn't sit well with her. It made her happy and that was all they needed right now, they had each other so that was all there was to it. 

Up until she started to wake up neaseous, throwing up more often then not. Luckilt the Marines nor the Elder Stars took any notice of it as they would act as soon as they noticed a sign of weakness from her. She wouldn't let them, she would keep herself presented as the treat she had made herself to be. Someone to look out her, as she still wanted to burn Marigeose to the ground in her lifetime. She wanted them to pay for what she had gone through, what Wyvern had been through before her death. She wanted to make sure that they would never forget her.

"Say that again", she choked at where Linlin was sitting next to her. The pink haired woman grinning, "You're pregnant. The throwing up, it's morning sickness."

Shaking her head, Rocks couldn't believe it. At least not until she reached out with her conquror's haki and found another - weaker - signature hiding with her own. Eyes opening wide as she tried to make sense of that. It had to be Newgate's, she hadn't slept with another man in months. 

"Fuck..."

Linlin, the bitch, just laughed at her before pulling her close, "This is a good thing, Captain, means the family is growing."

Grumbling at her, seeing as Linlin was making sure the family *grew* almost every year. She had several brats running around now, even if Rocks didn't allow them to stay fulltime on the ship. That's what happened to her and given they didn't know who would be send to get them, she didn't want those children to grow up like she did. Her crew was notorious enough as it was, once it came out there were children on board they would have to double up on watches and on crew to keep them all safe.

Her hand hovered over her stomach, "A Baby..."

When she told Newgate she would help him achieve his dream, he had almost fainted. Even more so when she pressed his hand to her bump. The baby was growing well, and while it meant them having to go to ground, to protect the child growing within her. For the first time since hearing him say it, Rocks realized what Newgate meant by saying that family was the greatest treasure there was. Given everything that had happened, she didn't want to see people as family anymore. Yet, thinking back about it, it became more than clear that those around her *were* family. 

Linlin mentioning the family was growing also contributed to that, for all that they came from all paths of life, it was clear that no matter what they had a certain connection now. It even extended past their ship, with others crews and even marines that had been close to them.

For all that she didn't like marines, running into a rear-admiral named Monkey D. Garp had Rocks gasping as she was reminded of Wyvern. Finding that Garp was her son, that he had wondered for years what had happened to her, she was happy to be able to share what a wonderful woman she was. It was clear the man liked to hear about his mother, at one point telling her that it was her name that inspired him to name his own son Dragon. A fitting tribute, if Rocks said so. 
She did like him, he was different then other marines and followed his own path while serving justice. He, as well as a friendly rival captain Gol D. Roger, and Newgate were something like brothers in that they shared a drink of sake ages ago. She didn't understand it, but she did know that if push came to shove they would be there for her and their family if anything should happen.

Shaking her head, she smiled, "For all that I didn't want a family again, it seems that it happened anyway. You'll be so very loved, my darling Pebble."

Telling Newgate happened one eveing, after she was starting to show and when they were in bed together. Mentioning that she would be helping him reach his dreams anyway and that their child was growing inside of her. He looked shocked, before his hand came to rest on her stomach, "A child?"

Nodding, Rocks grinned, "Our child..."

Going to ground was agreed upon to be the best course of action, no one wanted to make it harder on all of them. Even more so with the rising face that Rocks had now, her name was known far and wide starting when she killed a Celestial Dragon and his entourage. It only grew from there, to the point that they all knew that if there was even a whisper or a rumour of a child they wouldn't stop to find them. She have Newgate permission to tell Garp and Roger, so the two of them could keep an eye out on both sides of their adversaries. Better to be safe than sorry.

It was during the pregnancy that Rocks was reminded of the previous time a child had been brought up. Only, then, it hadn't been even close to a wonderful occasion. She found herself thinking a lot about Garling, maybe because she noticed she had a type in strong, blond men. Enough that she wondered what would happen if they ran into each other once more. Garp had told her that he was the head of the God's Guard now, after his father passed away. Part of her wondered if he was still the same, if he still looked out and knew better than what he had been taught or if he had allowed that nonsense from above to fill his head and turn his view around. In another life she had been certain she would have stayed at his side for the remainder of their lives, but times were different now and the chances of running into him when he was on the same side were slim.

She did tell Newgate, opened up about her childhood and teen years. About the man who bought her and how he treated her. Up until that Celestial Dragon took her away with every intention of making her their breeding stock.

"I know I shouldn't think about him anymore, the chances of running into him are slim. But being pregnant, feeling life growing inside of me, I can't help but think about what could have been with him", it came out before she could stop it. Where she had expected Newgate to be hurt by her admission that another man also held a piece of her heart, he didn't, he only smiled and shared that there had been another out there as well. Someone on his home island who was killed before they both reached their teens.

"It isn't the same, Rocks, but there will always be those that hold a piece of our hearts", placing his hand over the bump that held their child, he added, "I'm quite certain that the little lass or lady in here will steal a part from us once they're here."

Nodding at that, Rocks couldn't help but agree. She was happy she had been able to share that with Newgate. Running into Garling wouldn't happen anytime soon so she'd deal with that when it came to be. 

The rest of the pregnancy went smooth, with no one noticing and the World Government sighing in relief at not having to deal with the Rocks Pirates now and being able to focus on Roger and his crew. The previous Rookie was slowly gaining in fame, to the point that the two of them were the main point of focus of the World Government as they didn't want to have them become even more. Especially with rumours of Roger's dream of reaching the last island and finding out the truth Raftel held.

Xebec D. Wani was born on a late summer evening, perfect in every way that counted with a set of lungs on her that had them all laughing as she announced her arrrival to the world. 

Looking at the little girl in her arms, Rocks laughed, "She's perfect."

Garp became her godfather, even if they didn't announce that detail to the world. The man being one of the few who knew that Wani had been named after Wyvern. Because naming her after one of the strongest reptiles out there, able to hunt seakings, made Rocks hope that she would become just as strong and fierce as them. Newgate had agreed, knowing what she had been thinking and finding it a fitting name for their little girl. 

Because of the amount of children on board now, it became an issue. They needed to find a way to keep them all hidden. As such a plan was hatched between those in the known; her own crew, Roger's crew and Garp. To find an island in the calmbelt where they could all reach without gaining too much attention. It was decided that they would raise the children there, not able to see them each and every day, but it was better then keeping them on the ships and possibly risk them getting seen, or worse captured. 

Rocks knew that for Wani, she would burn down the world with everyone in it if it came to that. 

"You are aware that this won't be the last children we bring here, just as much that between Roger and me it's a wonder that they haven't made a connection to the both of us either. In time they will and I don't want to find out what will happen if the wrong kind of people start using that against us", Rocks shared. Not everyone was aware of her past, and she didn't feel the need to share, but a part of her knew that the reason her parents were killed so easily back then was because they had her to look out for. She had been six at the time, with Wani being even younger she didn't want to risk it. 

It was at one such time when Newgate stayed on the island that she ran into Garling again. With people being send after her in an effort to deal with the biggest boogeyman the world had right now, it wasn't that odd that they chose God's Knights in the end. No marine, mercenairy or assasin managed to get close, but seeing her first lover standing there had Rocks freezing up. 

Not that Garling was fairing any better. Making it almost a shock when Conquror's haki spreak out of the Gods' Knight to knock out his allies and make Rocks' crew back off. Linlin and Kaido lingered, the little siblings she didn't even know she needed, until she nodded for them to go. Standing there in front of the man who had *owned* her at one point.

"Garling..."

He smiled, "I never thought I would see you again."

Chuckling, Rocks shook her head, "I was certain I would never see you again either, things happened as you well know."

They talked, about what happened and what had been happening. How Garling was the reason he was now a Gods' Knight, even if the people from Marigeose didn't know he had committted patricide, "He never changed, I tried for so long to get you back but he was willing to just stand to the side and watch. He didnt care, didn't see them as human beings and I couldn't stand that anymore. Something needed to be done, so I started hatching a plan."

Rocks' eyes grew at the notion that Garling was planning on working his way to the top, he wanted to become one of the Elder Stars. Wanted to be able to influence the decisions, to the point that things could change. He also added that he had been following her, her crew and her allies in the newspaper. Grinning when he mentioned that he always knew she had a certain kind of fire to her soul, to see it in action had been magnificant.

He left her a white den den and a number to call, telling her that he couldn't be seen with her for long but that he wanted to aid her. That he wanted to make sure that the world would change in their lifetime. Adding, with a michivous grin, that he would love to see Rocks' dream come too, he'd even make sure to bring the marshmellows to roast over the fire that would change the world.

Laughing as she entered her ship again, she made sure to let the family know. To prepare them for another (unexpected) ally.

She and Garling reconnected, so it wasn't that odd when he reached out to her and Newgate one evening. Wani was almost six now, she had become quite the young lady and knew that there were people watching out for her even when she couldn't see. Being able to connect with him once more, Rocks found that she couldn't ban Garling out of her life, he had meant so much to her once upon a ttime.

Newgate was more on edge, even if he followed her lead and let her do the talking. He didnt even react when Garling mentioned the added expectations from the Elder Stars to procreate. He needed an heir, even if he didn't want to trust anyone else into the life that he had been in.

His eyes bore into Rocks, "I won't be able to lay with anyone except for you, but that will make it even harder as no one can known that it's you who are their mother. I know it is a lot to ask."

She was agreeing before he finished speaking, Newgate giving his approval and the three of them hatching a plan on what could happen now. Part of Rocks hoped that the child she gave Garling would look like her own mother, a spitfire of a D with bright red hair. At least then there would be less scrutiny as to who the other parent would be. Then again, as long as he had an heir, chances were no one would look twice at the baby's mother.

What was unexpected was twins, two boys, whose haki she could feel from in the womb. They would be strong, and she couldn't wait to meet them. Wani, once she was told, also looked forward to meeting her little brothers, grinning each and every time she looked at her mother's stomach. Now that she was hiding again, she did get to spend a lot of time with her daughter. 

Once again, however, she was shocked at knowing just how complicated their family tree was being. Especially as they all agreed Roger could be godfather of the two of them, with no one in particular Garling wanted to appoint (not that it was done in Marigeose) and they knew the man looked out for Wani already so the honors were just deserved.

"Things are already changing", she'd tell Newgate one evening. Mentioning to the way that they were aware of marine raids, the newest bounty posters and whatever the Elder Stars wanted to do before anything really happened. They were able to plan, to lay out a path for what happened now. Especially once the twins were there, she knew that things would change even more. Garling would have a legit tie to all of them and that alone would change it. 

On top of that, Rocks knew the World Government would up their moves to take her out. She didn't want to die, but she could fake her death and protect those of their family that were still in the dark. A chance she saw as Linlin didn't seem to stop getting children despite the risks and she knew that deep down Newgate wanted to start his own crew. He might think that she didn't see, but there were children on their island that hadn't been birthed by the alliance, but rather been saved by the man who had been her husband in every sense of the word.

Swallowing, she shared as much to the family, mentioning that Garling had let her know there would be an *event* for the Celestial Dragons not long after the twins were born. It would be a great way to make sure Garling saw them and her "death" could be staged. Garp and Roger could play a part in that, with Garling being the officiant from the Government's side. To make sure that they were brought to believe that she truly was dead.

"Things are changing", she said again, resting her hand on her bump, "They are changing and we need to go with that. I cannot let the children be alone much longer and I want to be able to see how they grow and become adults themselves. I won't be able to do that if they kill me."

The stage was set, the roles devided and when God Valley happened, Roger took care of Shanks after he was born. Bringing him to the Island where Rocks would be waiting, while Shamrock would be taken to Marigeose, at least for a little while until Garling could bring him around so he could grow up with his siblings, niblings and at least one present parent. 

Rocks didn't like waiting, but she found that she liked her family more. Something was telling her that her dream would come to pass and she needed to be there to see it, so she would make sure that happened.

Chapter Text

**

The first ten years of his life, Garling didn't even know that there were other beings on the planet they lived on. He had been raised by a wetnurse, maids and only recently became his father. As was the custom at Marigeose. Everyone was much too busy to be raising babies, so those were given to wetnurses and maids to raise until they were ten years old and able to fend for themselves. 

  Father explained that this mother had been one of the lesser folk, not that Garling had known what he meant by that. Seeing some of the people around walking with a collar made it clear that there were those out there who were *lesser* than them. People who didn't have godly blood running through their veins. He didn't ask questions, didn't even know what to ask given how young he was. So he followed along and learned as he went.

  While they weren't on par with the Celestial Dragons, his father was the leader of the Gods' Knights and that counted for something. Already they were telling him that once he became old enough he would take over from his father and keep those living on the Red Line safe from the lesser Folk. He didn't understand it then, honestly thought that he would be doing the world a favor. It was only later, after he met *her* that Garling was confronted with the fact that the world wasn't looking like he thought it did. Those living on top of the Red Line were brought up believing a dogma, something that wasn't even close to the real truth. 

However, it was seeing that truth that took a long time in the end. It wasn't something people whispered to you while you were in class. Nor was it in any way connected to others, as no contact with Lesse Folk was to be had (which became more difficult when he found out that none of the women here couldn't bare children. Just about everyone living on top of the Red Line was born from a Lesser Folk Mother, including himself).

 Even at ten, when he was allowed off of the Red Line to start assembling his household, he could see that certain things weren't right. The slaves around them were terrified and his father didn't seem to mind. Telling Garling to choose those that none of the others choose, mentioning that the breeders were to be left alone until he was older.

The glint in his father's eyes was enough to see where his mother had been. What his mother had been, and how the poor woman must have suffered.

**

It was while he was looking at the remainder that his eyes fell on the person with the fiery eyes and dark hair. Part of him wondered if they were a woman, but he didn't think he should mention that. Women weren't seen as much on top of the Red Line, least of all Lesser Folk Women. If he could protect them by pretending they were a boy, he would do so. 

She was amazing too, he realized once he did find out that she was a girl. Making sure to keep hidden as she was young now, but at one point she would mature and he didn't want to loose her. Rocks was a spitfire, someone who in the comfort of his own home didn't back down just because of who he was. 

He liked that about her, liked the fire behind her eyes, the way she was not even slightly broken despite everything she had been put through. 

She told him about the life outside of the life he had known about. Those of the Lesser Folk, making Garling think he might have liked it better there. There were more things to discover, less rules, and the rules that were out there could be bent if one was willing to become a pirate. Rocks had every intention of doing so, of getting away from there and setting out to bring down the World Government. 

The strangest thing was that Garling could see her managing that as well. She would be able to burn down the world and make it start anew. To do away with archaic practices and a way of thinking that made it obvious almost no one on the Red Line had a true brain. Even if they had one, they didn't know how to use it. 

"Why become a pirate though", he had asked her once, a couple of years after they spend together. 

Rocks had smiled widely, "Because I'll be free like that. I won't be able to be free any other way."

It was said with so much conviction, in a way that made Garling believe it as well. Then again, he believed a lot when Rocks told him. She just was that kind of person, she was his rock in this world that wanted to drown him in a way of life he didn't agree with. Even more so now that he was living and training on his own. When he had to see several of his people (Slaves they might be) be taken away because they were maturing as a woman. He knew what happened to them and he wanted to be able to put a stop to it. 

Part of that was why he didn't want Rocks to be discovered to be a woman. She was growing older too, developing in certain ways that he helped her cover up. They kept her hair short, her clothes baggy and hoped beyond hope that no one found out about what she was. 

At twelve to his sixteen, he knew it was only a matter of time. But each time they didn't find out was a day they were able to spend together. 

Garling realized he loved her at one point, when they had been talking for several hours and Rocks fell asleep against his shoulder. She looked so cute like that and for a moment he wished they had both been born somewhere else. If they had been born anywhere else there might have been a moment they could spend together. 

"I will do whatever it is I can do to protect you from everything", he whispered into her hair, pressing a kiss into it. Knowing that this might be the last time. He hated that even with his standing and career he wasn't seen as the same rank as a Celestial Dragon. If one of them decided they wanted something he was supposed to just give it to them. 

That didn' take away that despite everything he was trying to do, he could see her changing as well. If he noticed then others would too, and while Rocks didn't often leave his home, his father and some of the other Gods' Knights entered it. If one of them saw her now, they would made the connection and he knew what would follow. The only think that might give them a little more time was the fact she didn't bleed yet. 

A girl's monthy bleed was what made them eligible for a *change in position* as they were ready to be bred and that was really all there was to it. He hated it as one of the girls he had working for him as a maid was exceptionally young when it happened. He had tried to cover that up too, but they found out regardless. She had been thirteen at the time. Last he heard she had died in childbirth with her third baby. 

He didn't want that to happen to Rocks, he wanted to protect her. To have her at his side for as long as he lived. 

Blinking once, he asked, "You want me to do what?"

Rocks shrugged, "It's only a matter of time now, Garling, I had my first bleed not too long ago. They are going to find out and we both know what happens then!"

She's breathing heavily, a flush on her cheeks, before she continues, "We can't stop it. There is nothing you can do about it either. But... We can do this, I want to make sure that the first time I have sex is with someone I love instead of one of those inbred morons. I want my first time to be with you, so at least they can't take that away from me."

Garling doesn't need long to think about it, having sex with Rocks had been on his mind more than once. Of course, that was always in the assumption that she would one day be his wife. Not like this, never like this. But who was he to deny her this, to make sure that the first time she did have sex it was as magical as it should be. As much as he hated it, as much as he wished he could do something else, he was well aware that he wouldn't be able to stop them once they found out that she had gotten her bleed. That she was a woman after all, and not just a feminine boy.

Instead of answering, he pulled her close by her hand, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her. Kissing her as if she had been his wife, as if they had been married in holy matrimony. Leading her to his room and taking her to bed, intending to make her remember this for a long time. To make sure that at least part of him would remain with her even if it was just a memory.

She had looked amazing beneath him, utterly magical, her hair spread of his bedding as he took her. As he fucked into her in a way he knew they had both been dreaming about. Whispering about how good she felt and how he wouldn't want anyone else. A tear spilling down as he admitted that there would be no one else. That she had ruined him for other women from then on. 

"You're everything I could ever want and I hate that after this, I cannot have you", he whispered. Seeing the way that impacted her as well. Tears gathering in her eyes but never spilling. Rocks didn't cry anymore, as crying didn't get her anywhere. 

He made love to her several times that night, made sure that her first time was memorable. That she would never forget, as they didn't know when the last time would be that they saw the other. Soon her father would appear once more, going through his household as he often did, disposing of the elderly and making sure that the *ripe* girls were brought before the Celestial Dragons to be bred and give them all children they couldn't have with their wives.

Kissing her sweetly in the morning before going their own ways. His stomach turning in on itself as his gut was telling him this was the end.

His gut had been right, his father arrived not long after. Took one look at Rocks and grinning sharply. It would seem, even if he never told Garling, that he had suspected something. He had also told Garling more than once that the Lesser Folk Boy he spend so much time around wasn't good for him. There had been nothing he could do at that time however, Rocks always did what she needed to do. Worked until she bled if need be, just to keep appearances up.

Now, looking like the woman she was, his father could do away with her. In fact, chances were he would already know who to approach for a new breeding mare. It hurt and he tried to object, only to receive a slap to the cheek and his father hissing at him to keep quiet and adhere to the order of things. He was ordered to get more training, to prepare for his future role.

In reality it was indoctrination to make him break in a way that gave the Celestial Dragons their loyal knights. To make sure that he would believe in the dogma, wouldn't be able to think for himself and in turn never work against them or their way of life. He hated it, had always hated it, but couldn't help but hate it even more now that he knew they would be taking *everything* from him. 

"You should listen to your elders, Sir Garling", one of his teachers stated, "They do, after all, know best."

The bastard was a sadistic piece of shit who reveled in hurting others. He had seen the man whip a young girl for no other reason than her being close when he needed a release. The look in his eyes was one he'd never forget as he was turned on by it. He loved inflicting in pain. In fact, the only reason he had never touched Garling like that was because he was higher in rank than the man. hurting him would bring about quite the issue, possibly revert him back to one of the Lesser Folk instead of a Gods' Knight and he didn't want that.

Exhausted and in pain, he smiled softly when Rocks was there waiting for him. Tears on her cheeks as she whispered that she had been *chosen*, that one of the Saints had come by that afternoon to look at her before telling his father to arrange for transport, "I did tell you it wouldn't take long."

She sounded miserable, which made Garling want to hold her and hide her from the world. In fact, he was willing to give it all up if he could keep her with him. Telling her as such, Rocks smiled softly, "That idiot inbred fool fell for my crocodile tears when I told him I would join him willingly if he allowed me to see the sea one more time. We're leaving in the morning and he won't be coming back here again."

She looked at him kindly, "That means that you have to be here when that happens, acting all shocked and mourn the great man he was. You are needed here in case someting happens and we need an inside man. I have every intention to burn this place down as soon as I'm able to, but that also means that I need to know what is happening here."

It's clear that she doesn't like asking this of him, but he understood. So he nodded, asking when they were coming to collect her and taking her to his bed once more. Making love to her, to the woman who in his heart would always be his wife. He whispered that to her, whispered how he would love her and only her. Before allowing her to go to her own room and rest there until the morning. Preparing himself for the news that would soon follow.

His father kept a hold on his shoulder as Saint Cherleck took her away. The greed in the false God's eyes enough to make Garling want to act. But he didn't, he couldn't. He hadn't slept much that night after Rocks went back to her room. He knew that whatever happened now it would change the world. Maybe not right away, but he knew that Rocks would do whatever it was she believed she needed to do to get her dream a reality. She would succeed too, of that he had no doubt. Chances were her name would be known all over the world and he would be one of the few (for now) who would know the real Rocks. Who knew who she really was, what she wanted and what she was willing to do to achieve it.

His heart broke at the notion that he wouldn't see her again, not for many years to come. But he knew that he had a role to play here. One she didn't even ask him to, but one he chose to do himself. A role where he would play along with these false gods, with his father, and with everyone on this disgusting mountain to the point that the New Dawn would rise. He couldn't just give away his cards, but when he wanted to be there, when he wanted to see just what happened once the Clan of D took down the Celestial Dragons.

"I see you finally realized that whore was not good for you", his father said with a pat to the shoulder.

Keeping his face stoic, Garling nodded, "Of course, Father."

The triumph in his old man's eyes was disgusting, but he would play along. Garling promised himself he would play alone as much as possible. He'd do it for decades even, but he would be there *on the other side of this age-old conflict* when it mattered.

Looking at the man who sired him, his face still carefully blank, "If you have the time, Father, could you show me what I'd need to do to become a God's Knight like yourself?"

That seemed to be the million berry question, something that had his training be upped even more. His teachers changing so he could be prepared for his destiny. Almost forgetting Rocks too, if he didn't dream of her every night. 

Getting the news that the Bastard who took her was killed, that Rocks D. Xebec had taken over the ship and become a *pirate* he showed righteous anger. All the while he was laughing internally. This was truly the beginning, they had dared to release a caged bird and she turned into a bird of prey without any hesitation.

In front of everyone who didn't react, chosing to keep stoic and emotionless, but in the privacy of his own room he kept record of everything Rocks did. Of everything she accomplished no matter how big or small. He cheered her on with every milestone she accomplished. Never straying from his affections for her. Yet, his heart broke when news came to her that one of her crewmates was seen kissing her. His heart broke, but he knew that they never talked about this, that he couldn't expect her to wait for him or to stay loyal to a connection they never truly defined. He was happy to watch her from afar.

Until that moment when he was elected as the Captain of the God's Knights, after his father died after an accident linked to old age. Let it be known that Garling didn't mind patricide if it meant letting that bastard know that he truly did betray the Celestial Dragons and no one knew. He and his Father had been sparring, no one around, and Garling *slipped*, severing an artery and waiting until it was too late to call for help. Seeing the light leave his father's eyes and seeing him realize that the one to watch out for was the man he had assumed would be a worthy successor. 

Garling had set himself up perfectly as the fox in the chicken coop. It made him smile just about every time he thought about it. 

Taking on such a role had a downside though, there were people from all sides prodding him to procreate. To have a child to take inherit their position. Something he didn't want to put on anyone's shoulders. Least of all to some poor woman he got thrown at him because she was of a fertile age. His heart had been lost years ago, and he didn't want anyone else to touch him like that. To bare his children, the only one he would allow to do so was Rocks and she was somewhere else. 

Luck would have it that he was on a mission Bellow and found her on this quiet little island. Seeing the children around her made it clear as day that this was a safe haven. He had heard that one of her crewmembers did hold a fondness for bearing children despite her profession. But what got him the most was the little girl who looked too much like Rocks to be anything but her daughter. Knowing she had someone in her life who had given her a child, he pondered on whether to act and ask or not.

Ofcourse, she noticed him before he could decide on leaving again. Her eyes finding his, and for a moment it seemed like she would attack until she recognized who it was that was standing there, "Garling... This is a surprise."

Smiling softly, he let go of all the masks he usually wears, stepping out of the shadow he had been hiding in and looking at Rocks now that he didn't need to do so in secret, "Rocks... You look as beautiful as the day I lost you."

There is a flush on her cheeks, before she ushers the children into the house and steps closer to him, "What can I do for you? As I imagine that you aren't here for pleasure."

Moving his hand in a so-so motion, he flushes as he admits to never being able to stop thinking about her. She did take his heart when she left Marigeose even if he agreed she would have been miserable there for longer. Taking a moment, he also mentioned his new role and how that came with the expectation to have children. He looks her in the eyes as he mentions, "There is no one else I can sleep with, except for you. I know it is a lot to ask and I know that there is someone elsE. But I was wondering if..."

To his surprise, she doesn't say no at the start, she does explain that while they aren't exclusive, Newgate is the father of her Little Pebble and she won't just let someone get between them. On top of them being on a crew together, she does like Newgate a lot and he's been there for her in times she needed someone at her side. Quickly adding that she knew why he stayed on top of the Red Line. Looking on surprised when Garling reveals he did that for her. That he made sure that she had someone in the enemy's field, so to say.

"I always knew you would bring a New Dawn to the world, and I wanted to be there to see it. This way at least you have an inkling as to what is going on", looking at the island and the children he can see looking out of the windows, he adds, "This way I can let you know when something is going on and how to act to prevent anything from happening. We both know you've gathered quite the fame right now. If the wrong people come to find out about this..."

He hates that he has to mention this, but he knows Rocks enough that this is also something on her mind. In the end, she asks for two days to contact Newgate and talk to him about all this. He agrees, as it isn't a no and he has some time to kill. Might as well make the most of it.

When he hears that Newgate agrees, that Rocks is his again; even if just for a night. He surges forward to press a kiss to her lips. Letting her lead him to a bedroom where she shows him just what is different from the last time they lay together. He shivers as she plays his body like a fiddle, more than aware of what she can do to him. 

Garling lets her, looks on as she undresses, as she undresses him as well, before taking the lead and pushing him in the matrass before climbing on top of him. Moaning at the feel. Something he cannot help but mirror. She still felt so amazing, he still got lost in her eyes, in her body, in her warmth. He comes once, before she lets him cum another time, 'to make sure it takes'.

As he leaves the island his heart resides, he's certain that he's going to be a father.

Rocks manages to get a message to him about two months later, letting him know that she is indeed pregnant and by what her own doctor and Crocus (Gol D. Roger's doctor) said it's a large chance it's twins. He needs to sit down when he hears it, but starts letting the *right* people know he is going to be a father. No mention of who is carrying his offspring and no mention of it being twins. He'll deal with that later, for now he'll enjoy the news and see what needs to be done.

Those seven months remaining seem to crawl at a pace he hates. He wants to know if his children and his woman are alright. He can't leave Marigeose and he hates that he can't leave. But he needs to keep up appearances. Or he tries to, but is becomes harder and harder the closer it gets to the birth of the twins. 

'Two boys', a letter reads that he gets delivered, a soft smile on his face at the notion that he has two healthy baby boys. He can't do anything else, chooses to wait and never happier when there is a notion of a new 'tournament' in the South Blue. Those bastards will fuck over another island or kingdom without even caring and he'll have to deal with all the mess. Still he gets a missive out and is surprised when once gets back to him about a 'plan'. Reading over it, he doesn't like the notion of Rocks dying, but he gets that in playing their cards right they can make the world believe she died (giving them a sense of ease that won't last). On top of that, if he managed to slip away he can meet his twin sons for the first time. They hadn't been named yet, so to be able to do that was a blessing he didn't know he needed.

Their 'plan' went off without a hitch, especially with more than one Pirate Crew entering the fray. The revolutionary army appearing and saving a lot of slaves also helped. Garling hated that they tried to give these people hope by telling them they would be released when they went without capture for the whole of the event. He knew it wasn't true, but no one would believe him if he had a chance to share that with them.

Once on their little safe heaven island, he gasped as one of the twins was placed into his arms, a tuff of red hair on his head and a carefree smile on their faces.

"They're perfect", he uttered.

Rocks just grinned, "Now they just need names, as I couldn't get over doing so without you. I can't keep calling them twin 1 and twin 2."

Laughing at that, he looks the both of them over, "Shamrock, for the eldest, and Shanks, for the youngest."

Smiling softly where she is holding the youngest, Rocks nodded, "Shamrock and Shanks, welcome to the family boys."

Given that Rocks is dead to the world, this means that she can spend a whole lot more time with the children. On top of that, Garling is able to sneak away now and again to spend time with her too, rekindling their pairing in a way he had dreamed would happen. He loved those stolen moments, those times where he could see his children and see them grow even if it was in fractioned moments.

Still, he was there for each and every major event. Them growing up, with Shanks at one point joining Roger's ship and eventually becoming a pirate in his own right. 

It might have been the connection the man had with his youngest, or it was that Roger was a man unlike any other. But Garling was there when he had been brought in by Garp, posturing and acting every bit the part of God's Knight and 'killing' the pirate king. He never truly did, bringing Roger  (and later the man's wife Rouge) to Paradise in an effort to make sure they were safe and could live a full life. Roger had been ill, but he managed to sneak away medicine from Marigeose which healed him right up. Someone who brought as much storm as Rocks did was more than needed for what was to come. 

Clasping him on the shoulder, even if Shamrock announced he would be joining him in Marigeose to keep up appearances, Garling did not know what to do. Instead he asked Roger to look after *them*, to which the man replies, "I will, just as much as you look after us. You saved us, me and Rouge and our child."

He nodded, "You looked after Shanks when I couldn't, that counts for something."

When, years after that, he sees that Ace had been captured, he almost throws all his plans in the water to get to the boy. Roger had protected Shanks, Newgate had looked over the twins as if they were his own, this was the least he could do.

Until it wasn't needed, until he saw his step-grandson making sure the world remembered why D's were bringing up a storm. Monkey D. Luffy brought about the New Dawn, maybe not in the way that Garling or their generation had envisioned, but he brought it nonetheless. Enough that Garling was content in pretending a little longer. Getting to the right people in the best way and eventually securing a seat at the Elder Stars while Shamrock took over his title. 

He let the family know of the change in positions and had to cover up a smile at the notion that he had managed to keep this farce going. He would keep it going until Luffy became King, as his Grandson would do so with all the might the World Government was scared of. A little god in human skin, Garling couldn't wait until he arrived here in Marigeose to tear these idiots from their thrones. He would wait and he would enjoy that moment so very much.

Chapter Text

Newgate didn't have a lot of things going for him as he grew up, being born on Sphinx all he knew was violence and death.
He wanted more in life, but to have that he needed to grow up first. So he put his thoughts on the more violent aspects of life to the side and made sure that he would survive to be old enough to get there. To bite his tongue and do what he needed to do to become an adult and go from there.

Time passed slowly, as he didn't like the things he needed to do. There was not a lot to be on Sphinx either. People were always fighting, either each other or the Marines coming to take away any able bodied person in whatever way they could. He hated that, knew he would never become a Marine and the moment they fancied to take him he would make sure it was the last thing they ever did.

Sphinx was a lawless zone because that's how they made it. Deserters, people that weren't wanted or even those that had no where to go made their way here, in a way to at least have each other to lean on. Newgate ended up here as a child and never truly left. He loved it though, wanted to make sure that it wasn't such a lawless zone, there was no one looking out for them after all. If anything, because they were so lawless it was a great place for slavers to add to their wares or for Marines to find children to indoctrinate to fight for those inbred fools on top of the Red Line. He haded that most of all, there was no love lost to the marines but them coming here to take children is what made him want to protect it all the more. He said, more than once, that he planned on making sure that no one had to fear anyone coming and taking those in the night. 

"Let them come, I won't let them take any of us, not anymore", he had mentioned once. Making sure that he started to hone his natural stenght. Making sure that whoever it was that came to Sphinx left empty handed or not at all. 

He was seventeen when a World Noble ship made its way to them, making him set his jaw at the audacity they had. No way were they going to be able to come here and take whoever they pleased.

Let it be known that he was shocked to Hell and back when there was a Jolly Roger drawn on the sails. This had to have been a ship that had overtaken by Pirates. While not his favourite people either, not the people that came here to loot or take whatever it was that they wanted.  But whoever this crew was, he hadn't seen them before. That made him relax somewhat as they were either rookies or wouldn't be strong enough to be able to beat him.

The woman that walked down wasn't anything he had expected, she looked pleased with herself, mentioning to more than one person to get off of the ship. Looking at Newgate, she looked him up and down, "You in charge here?"

Shrugging, he guessed he kind of was, looking at her he is drawn to her in a way he hadn't been to anyone else. She looks like a warrior princess out of a fairy tale. Her hair is wild and seems to move around her head. Her eyes, they pull him in, looking like they can't be broken and are even more enhancing to the fact that they soften at the sight of children. He recognizes the clothing they wear and can't help but wander how she was able to free so many slaves.

"How did you manage to free them", he questioned.

Startled when she started to laugh, "I was one of them, being sheltered by one the good men on top of that mountain. He looked over me, at least until the jackass who owned the ship decided that as I was a *woman* I should belong to him and bear his children." She smiled sweetly, "I managed to convince him to let me see the outside world once more, his mistake as I am here and he's greeting Davy Jones as we speak."

Looking around, she added, "I made sure that everyone on his ship that wasn't a God Knight, Marine or an Inbred Fool had a choice. They shouldn't have to be forced to go back so I'm taking them here. I heard that this is a refuge in a way."

Newgate nodded, "It is, one for the damned and forgotten. People here, they came here because there was no other choice. Marines don't come here often, not since I started to lead the counter attacks and while slavers try their hand we managed to get a guard system set up so they never made it to land."

The woman looked amused at that, holding out her hand, "Xebec D. Rocks, it's nice too meet you."

Taking her hand, he shook it, "Edward Newgate, indeed it is."

His mind wondered if she would stay long or if she would leave again soon. He hoped not, she looked like the kind of women who could keep up with him, which was something he was looking for. Newgate didn't look like it, but he wanted something for his own. A treasure that no one would take from him, call him childish for having it, but he wanted a family of his own. A treasure no one would be able to take away from him and a chance to make his name known for now and for a long way after.

Rocks was an interesting women, so when she stayed to recuperate from her own stay at Marigeose, he couldn't be happier. He knew that she would leave at one point, the sea was calling to her, he could see it by the way she looked at the waves that hit the beach whenver they were close.

One night he asked her why she didn't leave, to which she replied, "I need to strenghten myself first. Word will get out that I killed that bastard, but right now they can't find me. On top of that some of the men on the island offered to rebuild the ship so she isn't so linked to the World Government and that takes time. Why, so you want me to leave?"

Stammering and sputtering, Newgate knew she was teasing him. Which made it all the more bittersweet when she left about a month after that. He wantched her go, he made sure that he started training some of the others on the island so he could join her when Rocks passed again. She was special, that woman, and he wasn't planning on letting her go just like that.

People realized what he was doing and started to aid him. Wanting to make sure that he could set out too, as they knew he was outgrowing Sphinx, he needed to get out of there and make a name out of himself. Make sure he made his name known and chased after the treasure he so wanted.

The Rocks Pirates made landfall not long after Newgate's twenty-first birthday. A fisherman had come to announce the flag on the horizon and he grinned before packing what he wanted to take with him and setting out to the docks. 

As his eyes fell on her, Rocks looked just the same and yet freer too. There wasn't such a burden in her eyes anymore, she was laughing with a young man with horns on his head and a pink haired woman who both seemed to adore her. Newgate had no doubt that she had saved the both of them. At one point she noticed him, "Newgate! What's with the bags?"

Grinning sheepishly, he spoke, "I had hoped that this great Pirate Captain would be open to having one more to join her crew."

The light in her eyes intensified, to the point that she was nodding before he could finish his sentence. Grinnign widely as she came to a stop in front of him, "I would have asked you before I left again. I... Seas, I didn't want to leave you the last time but you needed to be able to protect your island before I could ask you to." Making a wave a the men around them, she added, "It seems that others stepped up too, so that's taken care of I think."

Nodding, he shared that no slavership or marine vessel had made landfall in a year. They stayed away after he sunk the last couple ones. Never happier that he found a devil fruit by accident and ate it. The Quake Quake fruit was powerful, and it showed in how it impacted not only himself but the people he cared for.

"So, is that a yes", he couldn't help but ask.

Rocks laughed, "Yes, it's a yes. Come, you need to meet the other members of the crew." Leading him to the two she had been talking to she introduced him to Kaido and Linlin, adding that they had been child soldiers send to kill her. Giggling, she added, "They didn't succeed of course, but they gave it all they got. It's better that I take care of them now, the World Government shouldn't be trusted with other humans."

Disgust was clear in her eyes and voice, not that surprising. He knew of her own past with the World Government and the people that ran it. The fact that she was standing here and standing strong made him admire her even more. She was something else, something he hoped to discover more. To get to know the woman who she was, the one that was finally free after killing her captors. 

Leaving Shinx was hard, but that didn't take away that he was more than ready to take that step. The whole island was there to wave him off, and to wish him luck. The Rocks Pirates were well stocked and set out, even if they were a small crew, they were obviously feared.

The smell of the sea, the good company and the adventure calling him was more than enough to keep him occupied for the longest time. Yet, he could still feel something pulling him towards Rocks. He knew he liked her, but she was his captain now, so he kept his distance. Or he tried to do so, when she approached him and they ended up in the same bed, he wasn't even slightly complaining. 

Blinking as he tried to catch his breath, he looked at her, "What was that?"

Rocks tilted up and eyebrow, "I do hope you know what sex is, Newgate."

Grimbling, he nodded, "I do... But I meant more in the way of what this means? Sex between us, is it just sex or is there more?"

She frowned, opening and closing her mouth before telling him of the other man back in Marigeose. Her protector and the one that made sure in the end that she had a way to get out of Marigeose. There was something there, but there was also a lot of emotion in her eyes when she looked at him, "I... I like you, since meeting you I felt that there was a connection. When you were waiting for me on the docks I knew you were mine. Garling... Garling is mine too, but I don't know if I'll ever see him again and I don't want to keep hoping for something that might never happen. You're a protector as well, your dream is enough to show for that. You also make me feel safe and that's what I want in a man."

Taking a deep breath, she added, "I want this to be more, I want to see what the future will bring with you. If you'll let me?"

Newgate kissed her in reply, rolling on top of her. Making sure that he didn't crush her and showed her exactly what it was that he was thinking about that. The knowledge that she returned his feelings in some degree, that she wanted him was enough to know that there was hope for the future. They would grow their crew, he was certain of that, just as much as he knew that things would change with time. 

While on the seas, he couldn't help but think of two other men out there. Men he had known since they were children back when his parents were alive and they lived in the East Blue. Roger and Garp both had very other visions of the future, but that didn't make it any less real what they had. The brotherhood they swore when they were little, before the shipwreck that had lead Newgate to Sphinx and stuck in the New World without any way of getting back to the East Blue. Maybe in time he could ask Rocks to go to Loguetown and Dawn, to see how his brothers were doing and see what it was that they had made of themselves. That would not be today, righ now he had every intention of loving his new woman, to make her realize that he was in this for the long game.

Of course, Rocks wouldn't be herself if she couldn't read him. After another bout of amazing sex she leaned on his chest with a soft smile, "Berry for your thoughts?"

Biting his lip, he spilled that he had been raised on a merchant ship by loving parents. Their home base was in the East Blue where he had met the men he would one day call his brothers. While they weren't rich, his parents did well until an altercation marines send them into the Calm Belt and later on a storm shipwrecked them on Sphinx, "Neither of my parents survived, so I was stranded on Sphinx until you came for me. I didn't want to loose another family, which is why I protected it all so fiercly."

Pressing a kiss to her lips, he added, "You passion, and your drive, that's what made me think we'd be a good match. You're obvious aware of what the world has to offer and you refuse to bow to them. I want to be like that, and I know that Roger and Garp will do the same."

A joyous laugh left her, before she reached for something and showed him a bounty poster of *Roger*. His sworn brother, older than he remembered, looked back with that manic grin on his face. The poster proclaimed him Gol D. Roger, worth 350 000 000 Berry. He was making a name for himself then, as he had said he would. It was nice to know that some things didn't change.

Continuing, he shared what his dreams were, how he wanted to make sure the world remembered. He wanted to make sure that Slavers were dealt with, so that no one else had to deal with what they had to deal with on Sphinx. Admitting, to Rocks in the dead of night, that he was certain his parents had saved slaves more than once. That's why the marines had targetted them, they were able to discrupt too many slavers routes, to the point that they were becoming a problem and needed to be dealt with. He wanted to make sure that it didn't happen to others and in time, he wanted to be feared enough that no one even thought about settling foot on one of the islands under his protection with the intention to harm or kidnap people.

She had laughed softy, before sharing her own dreams. How she wanted to make sure the world was restored to how it should have been instead of what the World Government made of it. She wanted freedom above all and wanted to make sure it wasn't the question IF everyone would have their freedom but more of WHEN they would have it.

With how in tune the two were, it wasn't that surprising that he became her right hand man. She confined in him whenever there was something going on which she didn't know how to do. All the while growing closer and still having sex.

His first meeting with Roger came when the other Pirate reached the New World finally. He had been following the man's journey and had asked Rocks to be there when he arrived. His best friend hadn't known what to do with that, except jump ship to hug him despite their crews not knowing what to think. Rocks laughed as soon as Linlin appeared to be gearing up to fight, mentioning her to step down and that the two of them had a history. 

"Newgate asked and I know he doesn't do that a lot, he and Roger, as well as one other, swore brotherhood over a cup of sake years ago. This is the first time they see each other again after fate tore them apart", she explained. Not giving away too much as that was Newgate's choice what he did or did not say to the crew.

Roger's crew at the same time seemed to be just as surprised as they were, except for his own First Mate. Nodding at the blond, Rocks grinned before signaling them to follow her to another island not to far away. It's easier to talk without anyone listening in. Even if there aren't a lot of marines in the New World that doesn't mean some brave souls to venture out here and they don't need that right now.

Newgate can't thank Rocks enough for taking over, too caught up in seeing Roger again. It had been way too long after all, even if he had been keeping an eye out on the other man's adventures. Him being in the New World meant they might just be able to have some together. 

Of course, where Roger is, Garp isn't far behind. It's weird to see the two of them together. Just as it's clear that neither expected to see Newgate again. They make the most of it, with Rocks keeping her distance in an effort to allow Newgate to have a moment alone with his friends. It had been so long, despite being in the New World for a while now, he finds that neither Roger or Garp have changed much. They both chase their own version of version of freedom, as he had come to expect of them.

"Thank you, my love", he mutters as he pulls Rocks into his arms that night. His wife, if he can call her that, just shrugs, "You needed that and Sea knows you go with whatever I am doing at any given moment. What better way to make sure you have that again by giving you time."

Grinning, he pulls her close, knowing that this will be a change in pace for all of them. Something made even clearer when a couple of weeks later, Rocks sits him down to share that she's expecting. For all that he wanted a family, nothing had prepared him for the possibility of that family being related by blood. Rocks' stomach is swolen and he wonders why he didn't see it before. Rocks shares a secret with him, about conquror's haki and how if it's strong enough you can fool your own body into doing things you didn't believe to be possible.

He's there through it all, boasting about his child to his brothers, and having the time of his life with children on board. Linlin had given birth a number of times, so he's aware of what will happen. But this isn't a niece or nephew. This will be his own child, someone of his own blood.

Wani is born small enough to fit in his hand, yet Newgate is never more in love than the moment Rocks puts her there. He never believed this would have been possible, knew what happenes out there on the Seas and didn't want to add a child to that. But they already had a solution for that, as Linlin had children they couldn't take with them all the time. They stayed behind on an island in their territory and that was what should happen with Wani as well. 

Roger and Garp had come to know about that island as well, especially Garp once he also had a son and needed a place for the boy to grow up without being surrounded by Marines that saw Justice as a way to exterminate everything different. They had come to get the know the Marine well and he wanted what was best for his child. At this moment the man's wife was looking after the children on it, making sure they were loved and taken care of.

"She's so small", he whispers, to which Rocks grins widely, "All babies are small. Although she didn't feel small when she was born."

Wincing at hearing his wife say that, Newgate pulled her close to press a kiss to her hair, "Still, thank you for giving this to me."

Rocks leans against his side, "I know what you wanted for a while now. Least I could do with all the  time we spend together. I know there will be other children, maybe by a different partner or those adopted as we come across them."

Nodding, Newgate puts it all aside to come back to later on. Right now all he cares about it his wife and their newborn daughter. As soon as they are both settled they will be going back out to sea. They'll have to miss Wani for longer periods of time and he's not looking forward to that. But the sea calls to them still, and with the World Government keeping an eye out for Rocks after everyting that happened, Newgate knows they can't stay here long.

Rocks' words come back to bite him in the ass when he finds a slavers ship on one of the few occations he wanders off on his own. Most of those tied up in the cargo hold are children, enough that he destoys them all and takes the children for himself. Some of them have family that's out there that Newgate promises he'll make sure they get back to. But some of them don't have anyone left. He doesn't even think, not with Wani now almost three asking for a sibling. The little blond toddler hiding behind the bluehaired teenager peaks out and Newgate is sold.

"I knew there would be more children", Rocks says instead of a greeting, there is something warm in her eyes though. Enough that Newgate knows his wife doesn't mind. She calms them all and tells them that under no circulstances are they ever going back to slavers or the World Government. When they try to warn her about that, she grins and tell them the World Government is scared of her. They believe her and Newgate knows that's the truth. He sees it every time they run into another Marine or when there are Celestial Dragons close by and the God's Knights get out to make sure Rocks doesn't reach them. He's proud of his wife for what she has done, the way she never let anyone cage her and how she isn't about to let anyone do that to their children.

It would be almost two years later when he's pulled aside as they are on their Island, Rocks looking nervous as she mentioned being in contact with Garling. Newgate knows who that is, the person who wanted to marry Rocks before she was stolen from him. A World Noble, but someone with a concious and who wanted things to be differntly. He needed an heir, apparently, and no one woman would do but Rocks.

"I need you to tell me you're alright with this, Newgate, I won't do it otherwise", she states. Something fierce in her eyes, something that he knows she means. But he also thinks about the children he calls his own, Whitey and Marco and Vista and Jozu, who she allowed into her heart without a question. Who was he to stop her from giving her first love something he wanted and would tie him together with their family. Garling seemed alright, from everything he had heard so far. Agreeing came easily, even if Rocks seemed to expect him to say no. He pulled her close and told her that if she could open her heart so easily then so would he. 

The connection to Garling, as well as the twins now in their lives, came as a blessing when it became clear the World Government was hunting Rocks all of the sudden. The twins had been hard on her and it was clear that she wasn't able to bounce back as soon. He was worried he would lose her, when Garling came with a plan. He explained it, making sure they could free the poor souls that the Celestial Dragons deemed replacable during their games. He shared that if they made sure the world believed her dead they could make due with whatever else happened. "If the others go to ground and come out as their own crews no one would be any wiser and we all get to spend time with the children."

Newgate agreed, trusting Roger and Garp to make a show out of it. Trusting Garling to make the report so that the world believed his wife to be dead. He didn't like it, but he would go with it, if it meant that he could have his lover there at the end of it. That Wani had her mother still, that everyone had their auntie who would move heaven and earth to keep them safe.

Spending some downtime also meant making sure they had a story lined up. To be certian their lives would still add up once they had to slip up once the Rocks Pirates were dealt with. Newgate had Garp and Roger, but Linlin and Kaido only had each other. Some of the others, like Shiki, had their own goals and were easy to let go. But their core group had something deeper tying them together.

Once Rocks was with them again, he pulled her close, "You came back to me."

She laughed, "Did you doubt me?"

He shook his head, only letting her go when Wani came to hug her mother. Nuzzling close as she often did, leading to Newgate thinking on what he needed to do now. He would use some of the downtime. Linlin needed her children to grow as she would be taking them with her. Kaido on the other hand had heard rumours, some through Garling, about those out there who have lost hope and who would enjoy having someone like him as their captain. Someone who had seen it all, had lived through it all. Newgate also wanted his own people, he had quite a few ready to go. Including Marco, who was six right now. If he wanted to wait at least until Marco was a little older that would put him at nine to ten years without sailing. Looking over his family he decided they were more than worth it. 
Wani was also growing quickly, so he needed to enjoy the time he had with his little girl before she too would leave to discover the world. Now at eight years old, she started to ask questions about their family, about what it all meant and before long they were certain that things would take a turn for the worst once they had to share it all with her and the other kids.

That moment came once Wani turned eighteen and announced that she was in love, with Monkey D. Dragon, Garp's son. Loving how it tied them together, it didn't sit well with Newgate how he needed to let go of his little girl. Certain things were said that he shouldn't have said and Rocks was pissed at him for doing so. Taking the twins and making her way onto Roger's ship to be away from him for a little while. Wani also left as Dragon wanted to start a group that worked against the World Government, using information he got from Garling whenever he could. The moment he set out again wasn't as joyous as he had expected it to. His family was mad at him and he couldn't even blame them for that.

"Oyaji -yoi", Marco asked once they were on open water. Their ship was quite big, but would be manageble with them all. Still, Marco missed his sister and mother a lot, he could see and he knew what the blond was going to ask.

Sighing, he mentioned they would be seeing them again once they ran into Roger. They were set to run into his best friend once more. The stronger they got, the more it became obvious that not everyone could compete with them. It left the pool of those they could spar with very small, but it also meant that the World Government was scared to go againt them which is what they needed at that time.

Years passed slowly, with the world changing and still staying the same. Wani and he made up, with him talking about how he didn't know how he could let go of his little girl. Something she stopped him with, as Wani seemed to feel more comfortable as a man. Since God Valley, Dragon had someone on his crew who could do that and while they also wanted a child at one point, he would be changing his gender to a male once that was over.

"If that is what you wish, child, you are old enough to decide that for yourself", he told her. Making Wani share that Rocks had said the same thing, calling them her little peddle regardless of everything. 

They had one more joke on the World Government once it became clear Roger was ill, his wife Rouge was expecting and they needed a way to make him retire without calling onto the marines to go and kill whoever was associated with him. On top of all that, Garling wanted to see the twins and they wanted to see their father. So the execution of the Pirate King was planned, with Garling once again making sure Roger would live (both with medicine and making sure he wasn't truly killed) and would get to see his son be born. For now, Rouge resided on their island in the New World while her pregnancy progressed. Rocks would be looking over her, while the others were scattered in crews all over. Keeping an eye out on the new generation and making sure they would be ready for whatever happened now.

Everyone was up to date on what was happening, even the youngest in the crew being Buggy, Shamrock and Shanks. They would be able to make it through all of this, although Newgate was looking forward to the moment the World Government found out what had been really happening under their noses all along. 

Chapter Text

Garp didn't have any friends growing up, as a D and especially a Monkey D. not a lot of people realized what it was that he could do. D's as a whole were a different breed all together, but those with the Monkey name were monsters without even trying.

Dawn, where he grew up, wasn't equipt to dealing with him on a good day, but being alone and not even having family to aid him became a reason to avoid him all together. His dream of becoming a marine didn't help there either. The crime levels on Dawn were sky high, so someone going around and proclaiming they were going to be a marine wasn't welcome by anyone. It often left him feeling alone, if they didn’t gang up on him and tried to kill him. They didn’t manage, but he kept a close eye on them anyway.

He was a teenager as he made his way to Loguetown, knowing that it was the only island in East Blue which had a Marine Base on it currently. With the East being regarded as the weak sea it made sense that the World Government didn’t invest a lot of time and effort in it.

It took him a while to get to the Base, but what he did find were boys about the same age as he was. Both who were also looking for an advanture. It would be months before he found out that Newgate and Roger wanted to be Pirates compared to marines, something which Garp didn’t get but he couldn’t hold it against either of them. Newgate and Roger were very different from what he had come to expect from pirates, they wanted to be free most of all and that alone was enough to like them despite their difference in future careers.

“You too young, son”, the Captain in the Base had said when he came to register to become a cadet. An empty smile on his lips as he spoke, leading to Garp not knowing what to think about all of this. But he had nowhere else to go and no one else who was waiting for him, so staying in Loguetown seemed like a good idea at the time.

Roger, Newgate and he only grew closer in that period of time, now twelve they discovered that one could swear brotherhood over a cup of sake. The only one of them who still had parents was Newgate but they were traveling merchants and often away from home for extended periods of time. He had every intention of joining them on the ship when he was older but for now he was happy to keep them all company.

Having lived here all his life, even if it was on the streets, Roger shared that he never had family that he could remember. He wanted to have that again, but he was in no hurry to find it. Grinning brightly as he shared that he had heard someone tell another that you could become brothers by sharing a cup of sake, so that’s what they did.

Several years passed with them growing closer and Garp eagerly counting down until he was eighteen and could join. Roger shared that he had every intention of setting out when he was seventeen and exploring the seas. Trying to gather a crew and see what the sea could give him as he sailed her. Newgate shared that he would be joining his parents on their ship once he was sixteen, to help and see the world without being tied to Pirates or marines. Everything else would happen later on, but he was more than willing to wait for that.

But time had a way of catching up with them and when Newgate set out with his parents, they were soon told something had happened to their fleet and they were all lost at sea. Roger and he had mourned their friend at that point. Which had Garp asking Roger why he even wanted to be a Pirate, “I want to be a Marine and I’d hate to have to arrest you at that time. Not… Not after we already lost Eddy.”

Looking on at the sea where they were sitting at the docks, Roger shared that he wanted to be free. He wanted to be able to see what the world had to offer and he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that as a marine. “You’ve seen the captain stationed here, Garp, he’s lost all will to live. They say that to be a marine is either everything you are or they take everything you are away from you. Last I heard, before he moved here, the Captain had a wife and daughter. Until said wife caught the eye of a Celestial Dragon and he took them away. There is nothing left for him anymore, what will you do when such a thing happens to you?”

He hadn’t been able to think about that, he knew that at one point you got high enough in ranking to become an admiral and you would be working with Celestial Dragons often enough. He didn’t think he had to take that into account yet. Eventually sharing that he would deal with that once he encountered it.

But he had to admit that Roger’s world didn’t leave him alone. Even less so when they turned seventeen and the other man set out to sea. A huge grin on his face, finally sharing with Garp that they were both of the Will of D. “Make sure you keep an eye out for a poster mentioning Gol D. Roger, Garp, because that would be me!”

Garp had suspected of course, but Roger never comfirmed or denied the name he carried so he couldn’t know for sure. There were not a lot of people out there who carred the initial anymore, so he couldn’t just guess at random. Maybe the anger he felt at that, at knowing they were family in some way but he wasn’t able to know until after Roger set out was why Garp was so adament to keep chasing the poor bastard. Roger would have a year advantage after all and Garp had no idea where he would be sent after completing basic training. It could be everywhere, but he knew he would eventually land on the Grand Line.

He was alone now, staying in the East Blue while others had their adventure (in this life or the next) and Garp had to wait because he was not yet eighteen.

Roger’s first wanted poster did appear, and with it came the knowledge that most of what was written in the newspaper was trash. It had almost nothing to do with what really happened in the world and more so with who they wanted to single out. It made him think of the girl they had slapped with a wanted poster; Rosie or R-something, when she killed a Celestial Dragon. He had trouble believing that a sixteen year old girl could do that. Of course, if one looked at her clothing and saw the state they were in it was clear that she was a slave. Maybe she had enough of her treatment and acted out, Garp wouldn’t blame her if that happened.

Once eighteen he did sign up for the militry and found that he tested out of all the courses they offered. He was already strong, as proven by his last name and initial. He could fight, as that’s most of what he did to survive as a kid and later on perfected when he found others who could keep up with him. The same Captain who refused him before mentioned that it might be best if he moved to Marineford and tried out their courses, as he was obviously way too strong for an East Blue native. He agreed, glad that part of his plan was succeeding and he would be in the same sea as Roger.

He wasn’t free to roam yet, but could get there at his own pace and had people waiting for him to see how far he would make it. Garp was looking forward to it, seeing the fear in the other cadets’ faces he knew none of them were make to be on the Grand Line. They had joined the Marines because there was no way out or because that at least gave them something to do in a Sea that didn’t have a lot to give.

Once in Marineford, he had a harder time testing out of their courses, but they were challenging enough that he din’t get bored. For once making friends and showing others what he could do without being feared for it. It also helped that several of the other cadets were devil fruit users so being strong or a D wasn’t that special. Given the sea they were in, they were also started on Haki which was something that he excelled at as well. Often being called upon when one of the other cadets or low ranking members with a devil fruit went wild.

Monkey D. Garp became a household name and one he was proud of.

Until that mission at Sabaody and the way that people very obviouslt tried to show how happy they were, and failing. Celestial Dragons walked around with their hoard of slaves and no one was allowed to say anything. He even saw someone being branded a slave because they didn’t move out of the way of whichever inbred fucker decided they could just do that. Garp wanted to intervine, he hadn’t become a Marine for this. He wanted to bring Justice, wanted to make sure that regardless of what happened now the world would be a better place because of what he did. But he couldn’t, instead he was forced to watch as an innocent man was about to be branded and no one could step in.

At least, that was what they believed, until the man was saved from his doom. His children and wife were saved from losing him, by the same person Garp had been looking for.

Roger always had his own brand of justice and his love for freedom was one of the only reasons why he didn’t act on that more often. On top of that he didn’t have any fear and seemed to have a decent crew following him as they followed his example and laid waist to the vice-admiral and several rear-admirals that were guarding the Celestial Dragons. Not even looking at the cadets and rookies standing at the side. A flash of what only could be conquror’s haki coming over them all, while only Garp remained concious. Which was either a ploy or all the others were just downright weak.

That would be the first time he lied to a superior officer, told them the Roger Pirates overwhelmed him when he didn’t go down. Something he had the wounds to prove it for, mentioning he didn’t like pirates and wouldn’t rest until he had Roger apprehended.

A game of Cat and Mouse started there, where Garp because of his valor and way of dealing with the Roger Pirates rose in rank and was able to leave on his own. He got a second-in-command named Bogaert who wasn’t half-bad at his side. Someone who had seen the worst of it all and still chose to follow. He was also one of the first people Garp told his idea to, how he wanted to be free as well and how he and Roger were old friends.

He sailed in all four of the Blues, as well as the Grand Line, seeing all these amazing places and meeting all of these amazing people. But he also saw the worst of it all, the way Celestial Dragons were willing to play with other people’s lifes. How they just decided on a whim what to do with a person and their family.

During this time frame he had seen villages be burned down, kingdoms overthrown for the most ludacris of ways and people being robbed of their freedom for something as stupid as believing in the Old Gods. Garp was forced to bite his tongue and watch instead of help those poor souls that had often done nothing wrong. They were just at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and were punished for it. Some losing their lives, others their freedom.

He’s undercover on an islands when a woman runs straight into him. She had been running for her life as she didn’t see him. He wasn’t exactly a small man, so there had to be something going on there for her to look back instead of forward.

“Miss, are you alright”, he asks, before looking a the thug that appears with a grin on his face. Garp isn’t wearing his uniform and it seems that he’s just another civilian.

The speal the thug starts about his woman getting away from him doesn’t hit home. Garp can feel her shake in his arms and he hates the man in front of him on principle alone. He decks him without even caring for the concequences. Knocking the man out just as Bogaert appears with the notion that this is the thug they’ve been looking for. Garp laughs at that and trusts Bogaert to take care of it, looking down at the woman in his arms again.

“Miss, are you alright”, he asks again. Out of his dept as she starts crying, thanking him for what he did. She explains that her parents had sold her off to pay for whatever it was they needed at the time and he had brought her. He wasn’t a Celestial Dragon so owning someone wasn’t allowed (and the whole Celestial Dragon part was something Garp still hated with a passion). She had gotten away when he started making comments about taking her to bed now that she was eighteen. Decking him and making a run for it until he had caught her.

Wiping at her eyes, she mentions, “I had been scared you would make me go back. No one else seems to care about all of this. There is enough going on here after all, people dissapear all the time and I am just glad they didn’t sell me to a slave ship this time around.”

Asking some follow up questions, Garp feels his heart go out for her. She hadn’t asked for this to happen but slavery was still a thing here. Especially if it got you something, slavers had found out about it too and acted on it whenever they felt like it. As people never called it in and no Celstial Dragon came here, they hadn’t known.

She introduces herself as Portgas D. Rosa and he falls in love with her in that moment. Another D, so that makes it almost meant to be. He’s head over heels and blurts that out soon enough. Rosa seems to think it’s adorable as she admits to liking him too and wanting to see where this goes.

He courts her, staying on the island longer than anticipated and forgetting all about Roger for a moment and a half. Rosa is more important anyhow and he will make sure she’s kept safe. She can’t come with him and he hates that he can’t protect her all the time. So, as soon as they’re past the courting stage, he asks her to marry him and give her their options.

“I cannot take you with me, Rose, as much as I want to…”, sighing, he elaborates, “I can however bring you to an island you’ll be safe on and you can see what you want to do. You’re too free spirited to be kept locked away and I refuse to do that. But allow me to teach you how to defent yourself, please?”

Rosa agrees and he teaches her with a lot of joy, finding that she picks it up soon enough. Falling in love with her more and more, making it clear there has to be some way of doing this and of protecting her. Even having the Mayor at Dawn, as he believed that would be the right place for her to start and the man owed him one, to marry them so at least they were tied together like that. Her name now being Monkey D. Rosa, which he adored all the more.

Garp is on his way to the New World, to catch up to Roger when the news comes that Rosa is pregnant. She called him frantically, not knowing what to do and wanting him to know. She promised to stay on Dawn until the baby is born but she has every intention of leaving after that. People are starting to breathe down her neck and she doesn’t want them harmed her or the baby because of who Garp is.

Without thinking about it, Garp turns his ship around and cites a family emergency that needs his attention back at Dawn. He’s there when their son is born. Monkey D. Dragon has his hair color but the rest is mostly Rosa, to the point that Garp knows he’ll do everything he can to protect his son. No matter what happens now, but he realizes that he has a family now. One he had hoped for, for so long. But people won’t like that in the long run. He needs a way to keep them safe and he knows that isn’t in the Blues or the Grand Line. He needs a way to getting them both into the New World. To make use of what is happening there to keep his loved ones safe.

Frowning once Dragon is asleep, he pulls Rosa to his side and tells her everything. Sharing who his brothers were and how he’s certain that it would be safer for them to be in the New World. Looking into her eyes as he admits that he doesn’t like the Marines and the Justice they serve as it often doesn’t help the common folk.

“I couldn’t bare if you or Dragon were hurt because of me. Even worse, if something were to happen by the people I’m supposed to follow, I cannot loose you, either of you”, he whispers. Rosa holding onto him as much as she can, hushing him and making it clear that whatever happens now, they’ll managed.

She’s the one who tells him to go and that she’d follow in time. Allowing him to set sail once more and make his way into the New World.

Catching up to the Roger Pirates had been a pain, but so worth it as all of them seemed to know who he was and let him through so he could see Roger sitting at the fire with a bottle of whiskey, welcoming him home after so long.

They talked the whole night, exchanging stories, ideas and making sure that they had back-up plans for their back-up plans in case something went wrong. He had to admit that Roger had been right, and the man just laughed in his face about it.

Sobering up as he shared some of the things he had seen, “I don’t know it all, Garp, but part of what they’re sharing in the papers or even in the Marines isn’t close to the truth. Those bastards on top of the Red Line have something they want to protect and that’s a dangerous thing if we don’t know what it is. I’ve been told there are answers on the other side of the Red Line, in the New World and I plan on finding them.”

Their game of cat and mouse continued, to the point that if Roger was even sighted, Garp was called regardless of where he was. He went, and they used their fights as a way to exchange information.

But the biggest change came when Roger laid waste to the others he had brought with, leaving only his crew and Garp standing. Telling him, in glee, that Newgate wasn’t dead. He had a rough life and his parents weren’t here anymore, but he had become a pirate too, sailing under Rocks.

Hearing the name he was reminded of the newspaper article about the salve girl who killed a Celestial Dragon and he knew he had been right about that. Roger confirmed that Rocks was set to be married off to the bastard to provide him heirs. She hadn’t been up for that and killed the man, leading to her getting her hands on a ship and some crewmmembers while the others were free to leave once thye found an island to dock at. She had helped to free the island Newgate now called home and they obviously fell in love.

“You should have seen them, Garp, disgustingly sweet the two of them. I didn’t even know that Eddy could behave like that, but there we are and it was marvelous to see”, he shared, grinning the whole time. He got a serious look on his face, “She’s pregnant, Rocks that is, and I know if the World Government were to find out they would kill her and the baby. That isn’t justice, Garp, there is no juctice in killing a baby.”

Garp couldn’t help but agree, he hadn’t met Rocks, but he knew Newgate and his dream of having a family. As he had one of those now as well, he could see what Newgate would do to protect his own. Especially given his devil fruit which had gotten him on the Marine’s rader as soon as he set out.

He ponders about it for a second before he’s speaking, “I have a son too, Dragon. Strapping boy, takes after his mother in a lot of ways. But that makes it dangerous too, he’s my kid and that alone is just as dangerous as him being yours or Eddy’s. On top of that I know he won’t be a marine, he isn’t cut out for it even now.”

Part of him knows that Dragon will change the world, he knows that this is why he was there in the first place. But it also makes him scared of what that might mean for the future. He wants to keep her and Rosa safe, tells Roger as much and is almost too relieved when he finds out about the island Rocks claimed as her own years ago.

“It’s where Linlin’s kids go when they can’t stay on the ship, there are others there; people someone saved or even family from theirs or mine crew who keeps an eye out. It would be stationary but I’m sure we can talk to Rocks and have Rose stay there as well”, Roger shares, making Garp feel relief until his very bones. He had been carrying that around with all of what was going on.

They set out after calling Eddy about it, leaving Garp and Bogaert to stay back and only be welcomed once the Rocks Pirates arrive there too. Despite their name and fame on these seas, Garp can see that it’s a load of crap. He had always wondered what happened to Rocks, and seeing her now he knows that she’s the girl that made him doubt so many things. He liked her for that alone, the mention that she too is a D helps in that regard as well. There weren’t a lot of those around anymore, so having more family helps. He pleads his case and almost goes to his knees before Rocks agrees. She looks him into his eyes and allows his wife and their son to stay there. Her own obvious pregnant bump making it clear she wants to protect those that she loves.

Baltigo is perfect, as it’s out of any standart sailing routes and build on a mountain pass which gives a lot of hiding spaces if need be. Everyone who lives there is family, in one way or another. Several children are already there and it is a comfort that Dragon won’t have to grow up alone now. He might not be a pirate, but he also won’t have to hide that he’s a Monkey or a D.

Getting on his knees anyway, he thanks Rocks, thanks her for what the world might turn into if she’s allowed to all out. The grin on her face makes it clear that regardless of everything going on she plans on making the world remember what D’s stood for. How change and chaos was in their blood and for once Garp had hope that things would change.

Rosa loved it the moment she arrived at the island, Dragon on her hip in all his toddler glory. Even if he reached for Garp soon after and he carried his son around as Rosa went to explore and get to know the other people on the island. Rocks had been land bound by now too, too far along in her pregnancy and taking cover as to keep it a secret while they could. The two women bounded over freedom, chaos and pregnancy, in such a way that Garp winces and exchanged looks with Newgate. The blond man seemed to be on edge too, but he grinned and bend over backwards to help his woman.

Turning to Dragon, he pressed a kiss to his hair and whispered, “Crazy things, that, make sure you don’t get them to rope you into whatever is going on.”

Dragon just laughs, and Garp thinks that’s the end of it all.

It would be a yeah once Garp realized that he does have a family, he has his two brothers and his wife, as well as his son. On top of that he had Rocks as his crazy sister-in-law and whoever was crazy enough to follow her along. He wasn’t that close with her crew, but they were there when he needed them and all of them had a hand in looking over Baltigo, although Rosa was the one most often living on the island. She had her moments where she joined as a temporary member with Roger or Rocks, so she wasn’t alone all that often.

His relationship with Rocks is an odd one, she’s not someone he would have sought out even if she’s also a D and therefor in some way family. However, she makes Eddy happy and she’s the reason he can sleep soundly knowing his wife and son are safe. Still, she’s a brand of crazy he never encountered before. One that’s made even crazier when he finds out she has an ally in Marigeose. Finding out said ally is nog the leader of the God’s Knights is something he can’t comprehend. But Garlind is there, apparently they had run into each other at one point and as the man needed an heir he had asked her to carry said heir. Eddy was on board with that, so there wasn’t anything he could say or do.

Being pulled into a planning session where they were going to kill her however, was a bit much.

“You want me to do what”, he whispered as he looked at her. Her stomach was once again swollen with child, twins this time around so he couldn’t quite get why they were talking about killing her.

Garling was the one who spoke, “They fear her and that’s dangerous now, you should know this. Given Wani and the twins, she wants to be there to see them grow, so she is roping all of us into making a plan to get her ‘killed’ and back to Baltigo and we’re the best bet for that.”

He goes about explaining that there will be Celestial Dragons in South Blue in about a year from now. There is going to be a game, which is in essence an island wide Killing extravaganza. He has heard from it, from his wife of all people who had heard about one taking place on the island she had been born on. So to hear this was going to happen now, he didn’t quite know what to think about that either.

Additionally, Dragon at eighteen had started out his own journey at wanting to change the world working from Baltigo most often, but having planned of being there and saving as many slaves as he could. His little boy was getting so big, he and Rosa couldn’t be more proud, but with ideas like that Garp was right back at square one in fearing for the life of his family. So, in a way, knowing that Rocks would be residing on Baltigo fulltime soon enough did help there too.

Running a hand over his face, he nodded, “What are we going to do?”

Their plan goes off without a hitch and between the remnants of the Rocks Pirates, the Roger Pirates and Dragon’s people they get everyone who doesn’t need to be on that island off of it. Garling takes care of Rocks, releasing her into Garps care where they had agreed upon so he can take her back to Baltigo.

This wouldn’t be the last time he works with Garling, and he can respect the man who was shown that the world was fucked up if he kept on doing what the World Government believed they should be doing. He’s a part of this crazy family too and that’s enough for Garp to support him whenever they need him to.

A part of him will forever hate that he had to take in his best friend, his brother. Roger was ill and he needed treatment (which they had) but he needed a way to take time off to get said treatment and as with Rocks they knew once you have a certain fame they’ll never leave you alone. So he acts on that again, coordinating with Garling as to ‘kill’ Roger and make sure that he gets the needed time. Baltigo is still undiscovered at this time, so they can pull this off.

What he doesn’t expect if for Roger to confess something to him, “There is someone, a woman. She lives on Baterilla and she’s… Garp, she’s everything.”

Blinking, Garp can understand love, he can see it in Roger’s eyes and he knows what he’s being asked. Roger’s dead will be in every newspaper soon enough and his lover doesn’t need that stress to take her down when it’s not true. Even more so when Roger shares that she’s expecting. Knowing what had almost happened to the woman in their family during or after their pregnancy, it wouldn’t be farfetched to think that someone slips up and a worldwide manhunt starts for a child that has yet to be born.

“You want me to go and get her”, he states, to which Roger grins and replies that he wants him and Rosa to go.

Being told that his lover’s name is Portgas D. Rouge has Garp gasping for air. Rosa is even worse as she had a niece names Rouge ages ago, before everything happened and she never knew what became of the girl. She’s alive and that’s a good thing, but she promises to serve Roger his balls if he doesn’t treat her right.

Rouge in on edge when they find her, not that healily pregnant, but enough that Garp and Rosa know they need to get her out of there. South Blue isn’t a lot, but they have ammassed enough allies to make something happen and Linlin always takes care of the women in their family so she comes running as soon as Rosa makes the call. They get her out and safe on Baltigo where she’s told of everything that’s going on and how Roger is alive.

Garling appears not much later to deliver him and to get a longer moment with his sons. Finding out that Shamrock plans on going with him to Marigeose while Shanks stays with them hurts but they know that things are changing and they need all of their allies strategically places as is. Rocks has the hardest time with it, treatening Garling with everything under the moon and sun if he doesn’t keep their son safe.

With one son/newphew gone, it’s only just another one takes his place.

Gol D. Ace is born on a chilly April afternoon, all ten fingers and ten toes, screaming as if he knew that his birth is the catalist in a lot of changes happening. He’s perfect and Garp stays long enough to see himself and Eddy names godfather before he’s leaving again.

The following couple of years brings Dragon making a move and founding the Revolutionary Army to combat those things that he disagrees with. The World Government doesn’t know what to do with it and makes him the new public enemy number one (seeing as Rocks and Roger are both ‘dead’). Garp doesn’t like it and returns to Baltigo to give his son a piece of his mind.

Opening the door to his son’s rooms he wished he hadn’t, as his son isn’t alone in his bed and he sure as hell hadn’t expected him to hook up with Eddy’s daughter off all people in the world.

“Rocks! Goddamnit, where are you”, he screams instead as he lets the two get dressed. Finding his wife with Rocks and Rouge at the Baltigo shore. Pale and wheezing as he shares what he saw, carefully chosing his words for a three year old Ace that’s wandering around close by. Looking at Rocks as if expecting her to deny it, but she just shrugs, “We’re D’s, Garp, I have no intention to tell my Pebbly who they can or cannot date. If it had been me I wouldn’t have chosen a Monkey D, but Dragon is just as much a Portgas D. and they aren’t that bad.”

The two other women cheer at that, making Garp aware that he’s lost this part. Sighing, he waits with them until Dragon and Wani show themselves and live through a shovel talk from both sides of theri family. Mentioning they are happy and want to start a family. None of them is stupid enough to think they’d wait a little longer.

Monkey D. Luffy is born on the Fifth of May and they can all feel the change it brings in the air. Almost as if the Sea and Sky themselves welcome the little one into their arms. Rocks, Roger and Garp exchange a look, as they can feel and sense several things changing. Roger even mentioning that the Sea herself is excited for whatever Luffy will bring.

Ace, recently turned four, is cooing at his baby cousin, prompty deciding that he’s now his little brother as whatever Rouge did to hide her pregnancy when they found her made her unable to have any more children. They survived, which was the most important thing and if Ace was happy with a little cousin as sibling they couldn’t fault him for that either.

There is a third brother a couple of years later, after Garp visits Dawn because he felt like it and finds a seven year old boy standing up to a couple of thugs trying to take something so precious from him. He takes care of the thugs and gets out of the boy that he is a runnaway noble looking to carve his own path. Grinning brightly, Garp offers to take him along to his family which is where he eventually bonds with Ace and Luffy in a trio of brothers that warms the hearts of the whole family around them.

Chapter Text

Roger didn’t have anyone growing up, he knew logically he had parents but they were long gone from the time he was a toddler. He didn’t know if they had listened to the call of the sea and left him behind on Logue Town, or if they were criminals and the Marines had caught up to him before they could bring him to a safe place. But he had been alone since he could remember.

Logue Town was not the place to be alone as a child, something he learned early on as people didn’t have time to watch a kid on these streets. He ended up in an orphanage, but for some reason none of those places lasted long. Either he left and they never came to find him or the place got shut down for some reason and everyone living there ended up on the streets.

It suited him just fine, freedom was already calling even at such a young age and the restrictions an orphanage brought with it just didn’t do him good. On top of all of that, he was a D and they were never to be treated like normal children. Not everyone knew that, much less so in the East Blue, which often meant he would go hungry or irritated while in an Orphanage compared to when he was on his own. Even if he did steal when he was on his own, he knew what he needed to survive and how to go around trying to make the best of it.

He had been alone most of his life and he liked it like that, until he wasn’t so alone anymore. He’d been ten when two other boys about the same age ran into him on the Town Square and never really left. Garp and Newgate were different, in that they wanted to be a Marine and a Pirate respectfully, but they also supported his dreams of setting out and making a name for himself once he was old enough. They grew closer by the day and before long he wasn’t feeling as lonely anymore. He had those around him that he liked being around, enough that he invited them both to be his Nakama once he set out (which they declined) but they did find a way to stay connecting, swearing brotherhood over a cup of sake (booze he had stolen from one of the merchants during one of the busiest marketplaces around), grinning widely as it became known that none of them would ever be alone. He hadn’t mentioned it then, but he could almost sense the way both of them had been feeling as alone as he did. Garp was an orphan as well, just not from Loguetown. While Newgate had merchant parents who were often too busy for him.

Life had been great, until it wasn’t. Until they got the news that on the voyage Newgate had joined his parents they had been lost at sea never to return.

Both he and Garp mourned their friend, feeling as if a part of them was missing from now on. How they couldn’t be there for each other in that way anymore. Something which was even more emphisised by Garp wanting to become a marine and trying to convince Roger to do the same. He didn’t want that, he didn’t want to be bound by rules or by someone else’s idea of justice. Yet, despite it all, they didn’t let that create too much of a gap between them as they were all the other had.

“You do know that once you set out and I become a marine I’ll have to take you in, right”, Garp would often joke.

Roger knew it was done in jest, for all that Garp would make a great marine he was also able to keep one step ahead and make sure Roger never had to worry about that. They both were well aware that in theory they would be on different sides of the law. However,r Roger had no intention of plundering and otherwise causing mayhem. He really just wanted to do free.

Chuckling, he looked at Garp, “You can try, but we both know that you won’t be able to do that.”

His grin only widens as he sees Garp looking away from him. They both were well aware of that fact and worked around it. It were times like this he wished Newgate was still around, if for no other reason than for the other man to see how far Garp and Roger had come (they used to be at odds at all times, so for them to be the best of friends now meant something).

Setting out at Seventeen had been everything he dreamed it would be. There was this pull towards the sea that he wasn’t able to ignore, couldn’t ignore either. Roger could hear her whispering to him that everything would turn out just fine and he believed her. Listening to the voices in the wind and the water to guide him as he started assembling his crew.

Finding an amazing First Mate in Silvers Rayleigh where the man had been lounging about as Roger set out. He didn’t seem to keen on piracy at first, but he grew used to it. Mentioning that Roger was driving him insane more times then he could count, but none of that mattered if he had the wind in his back and the sea guiding him towards his next adventure. He didn’t even have to explain it to his crew, for all that they knew he picked them because of gut feeling, they came to thank him for what he did for them in time.

The Roger Pirates became famous soon enough, making Roger’s bounty climb to the point that he just enjoyed whatever it was that he did with the full conviction of a D. The sea was meant to make one free and he had every intention of doing so.

“You never did tell me, Roger, how it is that every time we run into Garp the man let’s you go”, Gaban asks him one night.

Laughing, Roger realizes he never did tell his crew. So settling down, he shared with them where he grew up and how he had two best friends that did everything with him until one of them was lost at sea. “The other one was Garp, so while he does have to look like he’s coming after us, he won’t actually do something to me or the crew. He loves me too much for that, wants a certain kind of freedom as much as we’re exploring.”

Glancing at the stars, he whispers, “There is a lot that is bound to happen, guys. Don’t ask me to explain it, but once we’re in the New World I know that there will be changed happening that we won’t know what to do with it.”

He had heard the rumors, about Rocks that sailed there. About a crew that had worked against the World Government and he had to admit he was curious about that more than anything. Things were truly changing, there was no doubt in his mind, but he wanted to have a front row seat to that happening especially with how close they were to the New World and what that would bring for their crew. Right now not a lot of Crews dared to sail there, so if they made a name for themselves there as well, that could only bring them more fame and fortune.

The New World was unlike anything the Roger Pirates had experienced before. For one, the weather changed in a heartbeat, so it could be sunny at one moment and be storming the very next. Exhilarating as it was, Roger also knew his crew was weary, so making landfall was a must as soon as they were deep enough into the New World.

“Xebec D. Rocks”, he whispered when the woman stepped up to him on the beach. He had heard the notorious captain was a woman and couldn’t help but admire her drive. She looked him up and down with a smile before asking for his name.

Introducing herself, she grinned even wider, before asking him to follow along with her. Despite what he or his crew believed, she didn’t proposition him or tried otherwise backhanded dealings. Instead she led him to where the rest of her crew was waiting for her and he saw one of his best friends he had believed lost.

“Eddy…”, he breathed as he had trouble believing it.

Glancing at Rocks once, he’s past the other captain and into the clearing to hug his best friend tightly. Hiding his face in his shoulder as he’d shown that Newgate hadn’t been lost at sea, instead he had survived on a backwater island until Rocks came to steal him away to set out to sea. As they had always said the both of them were Pirates, with Garp as a marine.

Laughing, he shared as much with his best friend, “Garp is going to blow a casket. I know he has every intention of following me here, so it won’t be that long until you run into him. He’s going to be stunned speechless.”

As they sit there talking, Roger makes sure to talk about his own crew and to tell Newgate about Boggard who is Garp’ second and a saint in every way that counts. The man didn’t even blink when he found out about Roger and how he and Garp were connected. Instead he was often used to bring missives between the two of them or mediate when it became clear they couldn’t do their usual show and did actually have to fight.

“I also know Ray calls Boggart about once a week to complain about me and let Boggart complain about Garp, I listen in at times and it’s funny as hell.”

Newgate just laughs at it and it’s almost as if no time has passed since they were both 15 and talking about setting sail.

It’s while he’s being introduced to the Rocks Pirates that Roger gets told about Baltigo and how it’s a safe heaven for the children on the crew. He had to have been blind not to notice the baby bump Rocks is sporting and can’t help but congratulate Newgate once it’s revealed that he’s the father. They talk about that some more, about the birth of the Rocks Pirates and what Rocks wants to do once she gives birth.

As expected, Garp reacts quite the same, although it takes him a while to make it into the New World and when he does it’s with the news that he’s also a father. Dragon is every bit his father’s son, in looks at least. Not in the way he sees the world, there he is a whole different brand. Wanting to bring freedom to the world, partly because of what almost happens to his mother and how most people are powerless to stop it.

Baltigo becomes a general meeting place for Garp’s crew, the Roger Pirates and the Rocks Pirates. To the point that at least one crew is always there, protecting it and building a whole way of life around it.

They need it once word starts to spread that the World Government will do anything to make sure Rocks is taken out of the picture. The knowledge that she had been a slave at one point and killed her ‘master’ which got her a bounty only makes Roger admire her more. She’s like a sister to him at that point, looking out for his brother and making sure that their weird little family can keep on existing despite everything that is happening around them.

He’s roped into the scheme that is being set up to take her out of the picture. Someone unexpected had been in contact and with it they would have someone out there looking after Marigeose and letting them know when something needed to be done. She had promised to give him an heir, but needed to keep them and Wani (her daughter with Newgate) safe before people found out about them. She also mentioned that once she was ‘gone’ they would turn their attention to Roger, as he was the one after her who brought about the most chaos.

“Just think about it, what it is you want to do, Roger. Right now you don’t have a partner or children, but that might change at one point and I don’t see you sitting back as they kill everyone you hold dear”, she’s serious abouts this too. Telling him how she wanted to bring the world to their knees and if she’s not able to do it, she wants to see it happen regardless.

He’s once again reminded of what the sea and sky have been whispering, about how a new dawn would come and he needed to be there to see it. Telling Rocks as much she confirms that she had her suspicions that she wouldn’t be the person to bring the New Dawn, but that she is connected to that person and wants to be as prepared as possible for when that comes.

A sweet smile on her face as she confesses that she had been so alone for a long time, before finding her crew and setting sail like she did. Right now she has a whole family in more than just her crew. Once daughter, and twin sons on the way, it makes Roger dream about what could be and agreeing to help her once the plan at God Valley is put into action. Knowing Garp was also aware and working with them to make this a done deal.

As suspected, the world did turn towards the Roger Pirates once Rocks was gone. Her crew scattered (even if they were all at Baltigo and making sure they were ready for whatever else that would come) which left him as the only one to deal with their eyes on him.

His bounty quickly grew and became the highest recorded. People from all over came for his head and that’s when he met her.

Hibiscus Rouge was a bounty hunter from the South Blue who made her way into the Oro Jackson without anyone noticing. Not that she could take him or his crew, but that she managed that had him interested. She was not like anyone else he had met, the only ones coming close were Rocks and Rosa - Garp’s wife - in both character and feriosity. It didn’t take a lot to fall in love with her, but it took her a whole lot longer to fall in love with him.

But she did and with it came the target on both their backs. Not everyone knew that she was the woman who had stolen his heart. But with the health scare he had concerning the lung decease he needed to make sure that Rouge was taken care of in case something happened.

“I’m pregnant”, she told him not long after he was cured, which is when he made his way to Baltigo to talk to Rocks and Garling, to see if they were able to bring about the same thing they had done with Rocks. He wanted, no needed, to be there when Rouge gave birth. His child would be the new generation as the others were adults now. Hell, he even found out that Wani (Rocks and Newgate’s daughter) was dating Dragon (Garp’s son) to the point that there were quite a few people aware that there would a child coming from them sooner rather than later.

Rosa, Garp’s wife, offered to look after Rouge. As they were aunt and niece, even if they hadn’t seen each other for a long time. That didn’t mean anything. They were still family and that was what was important. Everything else they could deal with later on.

Telling his crew the plan was heartbreaking, especially Buggy and Shanks, who were more on the Oro than in Baltigo, that the Roger Pirates wouldn’t be sailing after this. That he wanted to make sure this new part of the family would be protected. Baltigo hadn’t been discovered and chances were that would take a while with how far into the New World it was.

This was also the time they told Buggy the whole story, as he had been more on the Oro Jackson and never really knew the significance of Baltigo, he was given a look into the secret and who was still alive or not despite the world thinking differently. Shanks, and his twin Shamrock, had grown up there with their mother. Only setting out when Rocks wanted them to gain the experience of a Pirate Crew but unable to do so herself. Linlin and Kaido could have been an option, but at the time they and Newgate were still settling in as Captains in their own right. Roger had been a captain since the start, together with Rocks, so that was the safer bet.

“I want my child to have that too, Buggy, I don’t want to stop any and all activities of the Roger Pirates. But someone leaked that there might be a child and I don’t want to risk it”, he truly did feel sorry.

So many things had changed but the last thing he wanted was for his own to feel left out. Shanks had spent so much time on the Oro that he had half a mind to tell Garling and Rocks that they shared custody now. While Buggy was his and Rayleigh’s child since they had picked up the blue haired boy in the North Blue.

Waving at the people around them, Roger added, “You’re never alone now, Buggy, even if the Roger Pirates don’t exist anymore there will always be us.”

Buggy relented, and Roger felt some of the fear in his stomach lessen in the knowledge that this would be something always out there.

The plan was set in motion not long after, with Rouge progressing in her pregnancy and the World Government hungering for his death it became easy to set up with the help of Garling and Garp. Both men able to manipulate the right people so that no one suspected that it was all a set-up.

Gol D. Roger died in Loguetown where he was born, announcing to the world that the One Piece was still out there. It unleashed a new age of piracy, and once where the eyes of the world needed to be directed towards them instead of the ‘corpse’ that was brought down from the scaffold or soon mysteriously dissapeared after that.

—

Ace being born was the best day of Roger’s life, and while he missed being a pirate, he couldn’t say he hungered for the sea again. He and Rocks managed to stay hidden, helping Dragon once he set up the Revolutionary Army and looking after Ace, as well as Luffy (who was the kid Dragon and Wani eventually had) was well as Sabo, who was someone from the East Blue Garp had saved (kidnapped) and who grew up to become something like he, Garp and Newgate had been. Brothers in something more than than blood, but by an oat sworn over sake.

Pressing a kiss to Rouge’s cheek as they watched their son set out, Roger knew that the world was turning a little bit more. He had known that Luffy would be the one who would bring on so much change that he didn’t know what to do with it. All he could do was be there for the family they had build and see where it led them.

“He’s going to be fine, Love”, Rouge whispered.

He nodded, “I know, I just can’t believe he’s 17 already.”

Giggling, she pulled him along, “Times go by so fast, especially when you’re having fun. Before long you might just start sailing, dearest.”

Grinning, they had been talking about that, once the World Government was overturned those into hiding could come out of it again and Roger had been feeling the call of the sea once more. Seeing his son setting out, it just hit him all that much harder. Making him look forward to this new future. For now, though, he could enjoy time with the kids and his wife and see what the future made of it after everything settled.

Chapter Text

Linlin knew that she had parents at one point, had some vague memories about them too. She tried to keep hope that they would turn up again, but those fled as soon as they decided to leave her on an island when she started eating too much for them to keep up with. She didn’t thing about the them anymore, but she assumed that they had been good parents at one point. Hoping to keep those few memories alive that weren't twisted by what they had been willing to do to their daughter instead of trying to make it work.

The older she became, the more she kept their memory fresh to make sure she never ended up like that. To make sure she wouldn't allow herself to turn into them when she did have children of her own.

Madam Carmel took her in and for a long time it seemed that she had found her newest family. It was nice to have that once more, even if a large portion of the other children didn’t know what to make of her. She didn’t let it get to her, she was trying her best after all.

On the outside everything looked great, it was when she started looking closer, when she noticed those people that left the island they called home and never returned. When she realized Madam Carmel had a lot of secrets and none of those ever meant a good thing, was when Linlin started to think and explore to the point that she found out and the image she had of her caretaker changed so drastically.

It all changed when she found out what happened to the children that left their little island. How it wasn’t them finding a home somewhere else. Madam Carmel was a human trafficker, especially for the World Government as no one would be missing the orphans left in her care. Linlin didn’t know what to do with that knowledge and she hated it.

“Why would you…”, she asked once, trying to make sense of it all. But the only answer she got that it was just business. A cold look accompanying it, and that had been the end of it all.

It hurt, knowing that someone who was so trusted could do something like this. Could pretend that they were all a happy family before taking that from them when she sold them off like they were cattle. She’d been so angry and maybe that had been the start of it all, Linlin lost control of herself and ate more than she wanted to eat. In the end it did make sure Madam Carmel couldn’t do this scheme to anyone else. But it left the World Government to come knocking, so she stepped up.

Telling one of the older kids what had been happening and telling them to get out of there as soon as possible. Explaining that they would be coming to get their next soldier and she wasn't going to let them take just anyone.One certain no one else was on the island, she could make her way to the harbor and those ships that Madam Carmel usually greeted. Linlin had been there when they came to get the next new soldier. She glanced back once, knew that this would be the last time she saw most of them. She felt good for that though, knew that she had made a difference. The devil fruit she now wielded helped too, despite the way she came across it.

“Charlotte Linlin, you will do…”, one of those bastards who came to get those they bought said. Linlin didn’t know who he was, but something was just slimy and made her hate him all the more. He grinned widely before she was fitted with a collar around her neck like the few slaves she had seen and thrown into war after war. They wanted a soldier after all, and didn't care if she lived or died. Even as young as she was, they wouldn't care if she never got out of the battlefield. Her stature made her large enough to pass as an adult and that was all they needed right now. It was the best way to get them a victory, people they could miss were sent out and left to die if they didn’t preform as needed. It was harsh and she hated that she had become so durable.

Being a soldier shaped her in ways she never wanted to. It made her hunger for the time where she had a family, both with her parents and with Madam Carmel (no mater how fake that had been) instead of the life she had now. Yet, she didn't regret it, couldn't regret it. When it mean that no one else would be forced into this by the same woman that had been the reason she was here in the first place.

Sadly, she found out, there were others like Madam Carmel out there. Those willing to put on a pretty front to 'take care' of others, only to stab them in the back once it became clear they could be useful elsewhere. It made her hate the World Government, enough that if she ever did get released from these bonds she'd make sure no one had to fear that.

Up intil then she'd watch out for those stationed with her (which is what got her the nickname Big Mom in the end) and tried to make sure those that did fall were left to death's embrace. Those that survived, she took care of up until they were taken away from her squadron or they tried to leave and were killed.

It was how she met Kaido, also a sturdy boy a couple of years younger than she was. He was an Oni, or so he told her and with the horns on his head she could believe that. They grew closer, as one of the few who would stay standing despite it all. They became a family which was one of the reasons Linlin knew when she managed to get out of there she would take Kaido with her regardless of what happened to her. He didn’t deserve this either, had been raised as a soldier before they sold him off when he became too strong for his people to handle him. It felt so very familiar and she hated them on principle.

War, fighting and blood was all they had known for five years now. She was getting close to eighteen and she didn’t want to think about that either. There had been people whispering about her, about what she could do. Her devil fruit was handy, but she knew what they expected from women who matured and that was something she would never consent to. Kaido promised he’d do everything he could do to protect her when they tried anything. Yet, they both knew that if they wanted, they could make sure one of them had an accident or put them on another battlefield. For all that the World Government seemed to preach that they were in a time of Peace there were enough people out there they wanted to have killed.

They last mission was against a former slave. Linlin didn’t know who she was, but she had managed to escape Marigeose and killed a Celestial Dragon to do so. She was an instant fan, to know that someone had managed to do that. Even if she died here, at least it would be for a noble cause as Linlin planned on making sure this girl wouldn’t be recaptured. Kaido shared her sentiment, telling her he was quite taken with her and that was before even seeing her.

Rocks was nothing like they had expected to find, she looked like something out of a novel. A warrior princess if anything, she took care of the Marines that had been sent after her, took out more than one Ciper Poll Unit and now they were being sent in. Despite what they had been ordered to do, neither Linlin or Kaido were planning on acting on those orders. It would mean their death, most likely, but right now dead sounded nice.

She took one look at both of them before a burst of conqueror's haki had everyone around them knocked out cold, “Something tells me you’re not in this willingly…”

Shaking her head, Linlin shared as much as she dared share. There was still a collar around her neck after all, if the wrong person heard they would push the button and she had seen what that had done to people.

Chuckling, Rocks reached out before breaking the collar around her neck, doing the same with Kaido’s and taking a step back, “That’s much better”, she rubbed her own neck, no doubt thinking of how she had felt to be collared.

With a trembling hand, Linlin felt her neck and felt free. A tear ran over her cheek at the notion, that after so long she wouldn’t be collared anymore. Looking at Rocks she sank to her knees, “Take us with you…”

Shocked, Rocks agreed on the notion that Kaido stay as a chore boy until he was seventeen. Linlin, as she was seventeen now could join right of the bat. A breath neither of them knew they had been holding was released. Following the woman they now knew to be early twenties as she made her way to get ship. There was another man there, his blond hair striking in the sun before he took in the both of them, “I take it they are the newest strays we’re taking along?”

“You know I can’t leave others slighted by the World Government alone, Newgate. They’re too young to be left there and I need more crew members now that they’re actively trying to take me in”, Rocks said as if this was a conversation they had several times a day.

By the way the man, Newgate, just accepted it seemed that this was the case. Linlin hadn’t heard about Rocks before, so it would seem that they are trying to silence her before she’s gaining too much speed. However, seeing the woman now, she’s quite sure that no matter what they won’t succeed there.

Hearing that Rocks wants to live to see the world government topple over, Linlin can’t help but laugh at that. She loves that this is something that she dreams about, it’s something that Linlin also wants to see, she wants to be able to say she had been there when they believed themselves invincible only to have it all topple into their face. She’s enjoying the fact that she joined Rocks now and is aware she’ll like it even more after all of this. Telling Newgate and Rocks as much, they accept her without trouble. Rocks does mention that this evens the odds now as Newgate also has a devil fruit so can’t help but sink in the sea.

The following years the Rocks Pirates become more and more famous, they are there when the world is being reminded that they aren’t Almighty, not anymore at least. There is a whole new era starting and it’s that of pirates.

Rocks and her crew become infamous, to the point that there are people being sent after them on the daily. But they are a good crew and able to make sure that they manage despite it all.

For a moment Linlin was scared that she would have to say it all goodbye when she falls pregnant. But Rocks surprised her even there as they find an island in the New World that needs some love and care, but that can be their own little retreat. They have enough people on the crew now that also have a family and that need help in supporting and protecting them so this seems like the best possible solution. Despite being land-bound in the last couple of months, it’s still better then having to give it all up.

Some years later, Linlin can be there for Rocks when she goes through the same thing. When she knew that Newgate and Rocks had something more going on and a child came from it. Little Wani was born and Linlin became an aunty. The whole crew celebrated as much as they did when Linlin had her brats and she couldn’t help but like this part of piracy. The knowledge that they had Nakama despite it all, that outside of their circle they were quite the marvel and even feared.

That didn’t last either, before long she found out that Newgate had sworn brothers. One was the up and coming Pirate Captain Gol D. Roger, with another being an up and coming Marine, Monkey D. Garp. The D initial wasn’t lost on her, she knew that Rocks had one too, and she had seen it in action. On edge by the new people suddenly in her inner circle, she could see the bond that was there as well. Knowing that Newgate had been close to them as a child and a teen. That settled her somewhat, but she had grown protective of her little family, so making sure they were taken care of was a priority she wanted to make sure stood.

However, it was finding out that Rocks had a connection to a Holy Knight that became almost too much for her. They had heard of Figarland Garling, who hadn’t in the circles they had been a part of. He had been said to be a merciless killer, but Rocks had another opinion of him and that was the one who counted right now. The man had reached out to her, saying he needed an heir and there wasn’t anyone else he wanted to have it with. Newgate had approved, mentioning he had known there was someone else Rocks was fond of so he couldn’t stop her from doing this.

Wani was older now too and knew that this would mean siblings, something she seemed to be looking forward to. It was odd to say the least, but they believed in their captain.

“You want to do what”, Linlin asked once the twins were born and they had a chance to have the whole of their extended family on Baltigo. Garling was also there, looking as troubled as most of them were feeling when Rocks announced she would be faking her own dead.

Her captain sighed before speaking, “Someone has to be here to watch the children. With so many of them here and with eyes slowly moving here from above we need to be prepared to protect Baltigo and I don’t plan on doing that from a ship.”

Linlin wants to protest, expect she knows nothing can made her captain change her mind. She, Kaido and Newgate have been talking about setting out on their own as it was, still being tied to Rocks but this might make it easier. All three of them are a known force in the New World after all, Linlin has a whole group of brats from her previous relationships that also want to spread their wings. She knows Kaido has his eyes on some people too, although none of them are officially joined. Newgate has a whole group of adopted kids running around Baltigo too, so he’s covered on the crew part. Still, it will be weird to not be all together now.

Roger and Garp weight in their own opinions, but in the end they make a plan taking place in God Valley where it’s all of them together and able to make this succeed. It’s something weird and not conventional, but they pull it off and once again, Linlin feels alone in her life.

She has a lot of people around her still, knows most of them are just a snail call away, but it isn’t the same. Kakakuri, Oven and Cracker stand by her as she sets sail from Baltigo on her own with them all. Waving at the family left behind and can’t help but think that this is a new era and one she can’t feel but look towards with mixed feelings.

“Let’s see what this gives”, she utters to herself as she steers the ship. Feeling strangely naked without her crew around her. There is no Kaido who teases her, no Rocks to talk to nor Newgate to help her get through certain things. His view of a family is different, as he did have parents that loved him with all their heart. They just perished at sea and that’s different from what Linlin went through.

She wants to do better though, allows herself to do better and listens to Newgate as he explains a normal family dynamic. It makes her want to do better and to make sure her children don’t ever need to fear her as she feared Madam Carmel. Nor that they have to be scared that she’ll leave them behind as well, despite Baltigo, they knew she’d always come back to them no matter what. It’s one of the things they make sure all the kids know. Kaido waves her off where he is setting out on his own, there were rumors (verified by Garling) of some of the last people of a old civilization being trapped in Punk Hazard, he’ll want to free them and stick together as there weren’t a lot of Oni left either.

A lot of things happen in the years that past, she has a lot more children, knows that Roger and Garp still hold their little fights but keep an ear out each and every time. She meets up with both of them on the seas now and again. She doesn’t venture close to Baltigo that much, but she’s happy to hear from both of them when things happen. Kaido got a child now, and she didn’t think there would ever be a day that happened.

Roger’s apparently also going to be a dad soon, which is when he announces he’s going to do the same thing Rocks did and fake his death. Wanting to be close to his wife as she has the baby and wanting to be there now that the family is growing and they might need even more people on Baltigo in case someone gets ideas.

The notion that Garp’s Dragon and Rocks’ Wani are a couple comes as a shock, but Linlin had seen the way those two had looked at each other last time she had been there. Katakuri, Marco and the twins had a bet about that, so knowing it came true was funny to say the least.

“At least the line continues, I’ll be missing our talks, old friend”, she tells Roger. He won’t be dead, but she is also aware he won’t be around that much. The only ones from the original crew still sailing are Kaido, Newgate and Shiki. But none of them are close to the Golden Lion, he hadn’t been after the same things as they were and she could see that he was turning senile already. Maybe she should set out to Baltigo more often and see the others when she feels like it.

It takes her a while before she does indeed do that. It’s after both her and Kaido settle down in their own territories. Her in Whole Cake Island and Kaido in Wano, to protect something they knew the World Government needed. Something that Roger shared when went to the last island and found out the truth. He’s sharing that there will be someone else who will also make it there and this person will place the whole world on its head. It’s everything they could have wanted and everything they look forward to.

Keeping up to date with the family becomes hard, but nothing is preparing her for when, years down the road, an idiot noble from North Blue approached her for an alliance and offers his third son in marriage. Another thing she doesn’t know where it came from, none of her children are forced to do anything even less so marry just because. But she allows it, listens and welcomes the Vinsmoke family. All until she sees the third son and just about laughs out loud.

“You, boy, you’re a strawhat, aren’t you”, she asks.

The blond nods, somewhat shocked she would know, she laughs again. Turning to the head of the Vinsmokes she tilts her head, “What makes you think I’ll let one of my children marry him? None of my darlings have to marry against their well. And I refuse to force other family to do the same.”

None of them say anything, but she sits back and watches as Luffy comes storming in with a frown on his face. Until he sees her sitting there and beams right at her, “Aunty Linlin! They took my cook.”

Nodding, she hushes her grand-nephew, “He’s right there, Luffy…”

Luffy grins and makes a beeline for Sanji before pulling him up and babbling a mile a minute while Linlin and her kids get first class seats to Judge cooking and bursting as he yells that this wasn’t the agreement. It’s his loss for not doing his research and there is not a hair on her head that thinks about doing anything to inconvenience Luffy, Rocks might just appear to kick her ass and she didn’t need that.

She knows what is going to happen, knows what Luffy will accomplish. And right now she wants front row seats to see that happen.

Chapter Text

Kaido had been born an Oni, and because of that he had been born to War. For all that they didn’t survive into the next Pirate Age, Oni had been strong and able to withstand a lot, which is why they made amazing soldiers.

It was known they liked to fight, and it was there things went wrong. More and more people were killed trying to stay on top. To the point that fights to the dead became a thing and thinned out the Oni race faster than anticipated. Because of the fights drawing a lot of attention, it also caught the wrong kind of attention. Those out there who weren’t above using the exhaustion people felt after a good fight to take them and just use them for their own gain. He had been told his own parents had been made into slaves because of that, which is why he didn’t grew up around other Oni and was alone from the moment he remembered.

He heard stories about how the fights became more brutal as others made sure no one knew it was them taking those injured or young and the race just about died out in a couple of years.

Those few of the clan that lived had been taken to be used as soldiers and were given little else. He had been at war from the moment he could walk and wield a weapon. No one cared if he lived or died and sadly, his parents never managed to see him make it anywhere. They had died not long after his birth, which is why he never grew up around the Oni. By the time he had realized that, he had been a teenager and just about the only Oni still around.

“Get up, you beast, and meet your new masters”, became something he was told a lot. Always by those with an air of arrogance around them or wearing white and blue colors. He hated it, but there wasn’t a lot he could do with the collar around his neck. They only changed it out when he outgrew his current one and made sure he was drugged to hell and back to do so. Everyone of his masters was aware that he was stronger then them, yet he never managed to actually harm them.

He found the World Government to be most foul when they brought him, they wanted to make use of his strength to take out a former slave who had been able to gain power and standing. There wasn’t a lot they could do and he, as well as someone else who had been a soldier together with him for a while now: Linlin, were told to take out Rocks or die trying. He found that he liked Rocks a lot more than his masters.

She took one look at him and Linlin, before breaking their collars and setting them free. A grin on her face as she mentioned wanting to make sure that the world as a whole was set free. Adding that the World Government had this ideal about what to do with monsters such as them and none of it was ever good. She hadn’t been willing to sit back and let them be used, or worse killed, for no other reason than being different.

Rocks grinned before mentioning that she had every intention of being there to see the World Government go up in ashes.

“They want to cage those of us that are different and I won’t let them”, she had said, that manic grin on her face that would become a staple.

Hearing how it was that she got her fame, Kaido couldn’t even blame her for what she did. To be sold off like some broodmare because she became a woman was just horrible. They had tried to do that to Linlin but she quickly gained a reputation as a Black Widow with all the men she killed after they impregnated her.

He didn’t quite understand it, but Linlin was happy and that was all he could ever want for the woman who was a big sister to him.

Getting to meet Newgate, Rocks’ partner, made it clear what a healthy relationship should look like. On top of that, they taught Kaido what parents should behave like. They were the core of the crew and would without a doubt demolish anyone who dared to touch any of them. Something which was even more obvious once Rocks became pregnant and first Wani, and later Shamrock and Shanks, were born. They all worked together in keeping the children safe, not just their own, but Linlin’s as well. In fact, in time, it also came to include Newgate’s sworn brothers’ children and any women not on a ship full time.

It took a special kind of bravery as well, once he learned that Rocks wanted to step back when the efforts to take her down were doubled. She was willing to put her dreams on hold if it meant being able to be there for the children she had. Especially once it became clear that she had connections even in high places in the World Government who kept her updated on what was going on and he, together with Garp (one of Newgate’s brothers) were able to set up a dead scene as to keep his captain safe.

Frowning, he asked Linlin, Newgate and Rocks what they needed to do now, “We were too well known to dissapear. So what is it that you plan on doing?”

Newgate shared he would take to sea as a Captain, he had been co-captain in a way after all. Not just that, but he had collected quite the following of young men and women who had been freed by him and/or Rocks over the years so he already had a skeleton crew to base himself off. His dream had never revolved around fame and fortune anyway, all he wanted was a family and in a way he already had it. But the brats he adopted were feeling the pull of the sea as well, so it was clear that they were longing for that freedom. They were all old enough too, so it made sense that Newgate would set out once more.

Baltigo, their family island (if one could call it that) would be safe this far into the New World and if Newgate played his cards right it would be right in the middle of his territory and such a constant safe haven.

Linlin mentioned wanting to do much the same, although she also had plans to settle down somewhere with his children. She’d still be out there on the sea, but with the number of children she had and the number of men still vying for her attention that made sense. Baltigo wouldn’t be large enough for the children she no doubt would carry. Even more so because she often had multiples so far.

It left Kaido to think, as the youngest at twenty-three now, he didn’t know what he wanted right now. He wanted to be free, after his life before Rocks he didn’t want to go back to being a soldier or be forced to follow someone else’s orders. It helped that he knew what family meant and that he would have those to fall back on if he needed it.

“I think I’ll go and explore the world at my own pace”, he muttered in the end. Sailing with Rocks had been amazing, but he had been a cabin boy more than anything with how young he was at the time. He didn’t want to be bound by that now and while not yet setting out as a captain, he would eventually be one.

His former crew mates cheered at that and Rocks, once she was back on Baltigo mentioned that Garling had told her about someone being trapped on Punk Hazard, “He’s a Lunarian, or so I’m told. The last of his kind. We didn’t know anything about them before, but maybe you can set him free, you could do with someone your own age as well, I’m sure.”

Finding Alber was odd, something he hadn’t been expecting as he didn’t have anyone close to his own age. Those that were, were children in his eyes, which made it all that more isolating in the end. Getting his own crew seemed like the best idea and if he found others that were alone as well, he could work with that.

Thanking Rocks for the information, he set out at the first light of the morning. The world was changing, and while he didn’t know it yet, he knew that parts of them would always be connected.

—

Alber was alone, that much was clear from the look in his eyes when Kaido stormed Punk Hazard and got him out. He was also weak, his white hair matted and the feathers on his wings damaged and bend out of shape. He helped to restore the Lunarian, telling him that it was Alber’s choice of what he wanted to do. That Kaido wouldn’t hold it against him, regardless of what he planned on doing.

“I came here to set you free, as I know how it feels like to be the last of a once great race”, Kaido muttered, explaining that he was an Oni and as far as he knew he was the only one left right now. He also mentioned his own dreams, not to conquer, but to settle down eventually when he had his adventures. Telling Alber of his own family, one he made when there was nothing left. How he had found them or they had found him and it was as perfect as they could make it.

He wasn’t even a little surprised when Alber choose to stay at his side after that. Looking at him as if he hung the moon and stars, and for someone locked up for so long it made sense that the person setting them free became their savior. Kaido never saw himself as that, but he did see himself as a liberator, finding that it was everything he could want and how it helped in settling a piece of himself he hadn’t expected.

He found those that didn’t have anyone else, those of a mixed species like Jack, who was part-fish man, or Queen, who had been left alone after their experiments didn’t bring profit to the World Government, tossed aside like Kaido had been long ago.

“I’ll give you a family, if you want”, he offered them, “A place where you can find piece, if you want. I don’t want a lot in return and while I do want to settle down somewhere it will never be in bloodshed like others before me offered.”

Alber only verified that, despite wearing a mask to protect himself, he shared his own story with the building crew and supported Kaido the full one hundred percent in everything he did. It was refreshing to have someone like that at his side. Even more so when he realized there were other feeling he started to experience.

Feelings that made him go past Baltigo to ask his former cremates (or just in general anyone who resided there) for help in figuring this out. Additionally showing his new crew that he had a lot of connections they didn’t know about. Alber didn’t seem shocked at it, but then again he had been amazing at reading Kaido from the start.

Rocks, Rouge and Rosa helped him to see what he was feeling was love. He was in love with Alber in a way he didn’t think he would be able to. There had been no love for him growing up, not until he met Linlin but that was platonic and familiar. His love for Alber was very much romantic and he didn’t quite know how to deal with that at first.

They figured it out though, even if it took a while. But Kaido was glad to hear that Alber felt the same way.

When they did sleep together it was to find out that Lunarians were intersex and could as such carry a child. Something that happened pretty soon in their relationship as neither of them had known. But knowing they weren’t the last of their race anymore helped in that as well.

It wasn’t until he had a child of his own that he was able to let it all go. To see the little one in his arms and knowing that he would do better than anyone ever did. He had a great roll model in Newgate and Rocks. Not just that, but of them had a child by now, the only one who hadn’t was Roger but given his own lady love that wouldn’t take long now. Yamato captured his heart though, as soon as they were born and Kaido knew he would burn down the world for them if it came to that.

Pressing a kiss to Alber’s forehead, he whispered, “Thank you, for this treasure.”

Alber just leaned against him and took a nap. The labor had been hard and long, so his first treasure deserved the rest he needed. Kaido would watch over them, having come back to Baltigo for that moment just to have others there to help and watch his back should he need it.

As he was there, he also spoke to Roger and Newgate, mentioning that he had fallen in love with Wano and wanted to settle there. Quite aware of Oden, who sailed with the both of them at one point, and his standing in the country. Taking care to mention he didn’t plan on taking over or anything like that, he wanted to settle down in Wano because of its rich history.

It would be a good thing he did as someone did try to usurp the title of Shogun, only for Kaido and Oden to work together in preventing it. Oden was still badly hurt and eventually died from his injuries. Kaido was the one to call Newgate and Roger to share the news, knowing they would both grieve the amazing man he had been. Asking about his wife and children, Kaido could only comment on the state of his daughter. Hiyori was alive and well, fostered in his own household with Yamato to keep her safe.

Momonosuke would turn up with his retainers some twenty years later, together with Rocks’ grandson and a whole following of people supporting the rightful heir to the throne. Kaido was right there with his support, to the shock of several of the retainers as they had believed he had been behind the murder of their master.

“Grandma told me Uncle Kaido wouldn’t do something like that”, Luffy said when everyone looked shocked at the easy way Kaido stepped aside.

Several of his crew members looked on in shock, with some others not looking shocked at all, “Just how many people do you know, Luffy?” It might have been the uncle comment, which Kaido wasn’t truly aware of was being used around him. But he welcomed it nonetheless.

Letting out a laugh, Kaido couldn’t help but grin at Rocks’ grandson. He wasn’t close to Luffy, Sabo or Ace, but he had followed the three of them on their journey. Yamato was also close to Ace, so he was kept up to date on those things most important. Still grinning, he looked over the gathered forces, “He didn’t tell you?”

Most of his allies and crew shook their heads, which had Kaido looking at Luffy who shrugged showing he didn’t care that it was shared now.

Laughing once more, Kaido pointed at the kid, “His parents are Monkey D. Dragon, son of Portgas D. Rosa and Monkey D. Garp, as well as Xebec D. Wani, although he goes by Crocodile now, child of Edward Newgate and Xebec D. Rocks. Luffy here has connections to everyone in the old generation though either of his parents or his bonds with his adopted brothers. He’s also the one who is going to turn the world on its head and I want to be there to see it.”