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Makino giggled as the arm around her waist tightened itself in an effort to keep her upright. Leaning back onto the chest of her husband, she couldn’t help but smile as she took in the sight in front of her.
Standing, not that far from where she and Shanks were huddled together, Ace, Sabo and Luffy were holding their cousin. The little girl that Shanks had given her - a surprise to the both of them - last time he came to visit her in the East Blue.
Before Ace had been believed to die, she hadn’t known why she was being nauseous all the time. It sounded absurd to know that she was pregnant from that one night they had spent together, but she had been.
Their little star had been growing in her womb, unable to see her daddy until such a time that Shanks could make his way back into the East Blue. And with Luffy taking the throne as she knew he would, they were all free to come and look for her once more.
The fact that it wasn’t just her that was waiting for them, but also a toddler aged Mariette, her little sea child. Coming from a family such as hers there was no way she wouldn’t long for the sea. Like her daddy, who had been shell shocked after finding out their daughter had inherited his red hair instead of Makino’s green locks, little Mari would be the terror of the Grandline - when she was older at least.
For now the 5 year old was more than content to stare up at the boys that she had told her about, her cousins, who had been out at sea for as long as she had been born. Who didn’t know her, but would be falling in love with her the moment they saw her. And they did, as soon as she introduced her daughter, all three of her boys zeroed in on the girl. Their eyes went back to Shanks at the same moment, before they grinned and hefted up their baby cousin to coo over her and tell her all kinds of stories.
The ones about their adventures always went over well Makino had found out, telling Mari about what kinds of things the boys had gotten into before the age of 17. Now, seasoned pirates as they were, they could add to those stories about what happened the 8, or 5, years that they had been out to sea.
With her eyes staring up at the three of them, Makino was sure that Mari would be entertained for a long time to come. At least, until she got hungry, or needed to take a nap. With the party on the way for the returning family members, as well as the fact that Luffy made it to Pirate King, the 5 year old would have a little too much excitement than she was used to having.
Makino planned on putting her down for a nap after she had lunch, she was part D after all, even if Makino didn’t carry the name herself, between Shanks and her relation to the Monkey D. family, she was well aware that Mari would take after those of her family that did carry the initial, be it open to the world, or not.
“I must say I did not expect to find this when I came to find my beautiful lover again.”
Grinning as she leaned back onto Shanks chest, she hummed, “Neither did I for the longest time, to be honest. I was well over the 3 month mark before I started to show. And while I did have morning sickness it was more of a stomach bug than what I knew from other women who had been pregnant.
She came as a shock when the doctor pointed her out to me on the ultrasound. He seemed shocked too, as no one knew we were sleeping together. If anything they wanted to hunt down a yonko for leaving me alone pregnant.”
Shanks made a hurt noise, “I never would. I know what it would be like to leave your lover alone after something like that.”
He looked at Ace, “My captain had to do that to his own wife and unborn child. Hoping that in doing that he could save their lives. The child lived, but his wife gave her life so he might live. The fact that he’s been here all along makes it extra hard for me to know that I was so close to the boy that could have been my little brother.”
Looking at Mariette, he added, “To know that I, unintentionally, left you out here too. It hurts, even more than I can describe. To know that if the Marines or Teach had known, that I would have lost something I never knew I gained.”
She hushed him, “I always knew you would be back, that you would come back for me. And for her, you wouldn’t leave us. I know you too well to even think that would happen.
Garp wasn’t happy about it, even less so when he recognized the particular shade of hair color she has. He wanted to come hunt you down, you know, but I stopped him. I asked him to reconsider as I wanted the child growing in my womb.
Even more so with that we all believed Ace had died at Marineford, I asked him not to go after another of our family, even if he was married. Ace already had been believed to have died by the backwards views the marines held. I didn’t want to lose you too, not to something like that. Nor did I want to lose Mari, had he come after you, he would have announced that to the world - he would have announced her to the world and I didn’t want that.”
Shanks pressed her closer, leaning his face onto her head as he cuddled her closer, “We all were hurting at that time, thinking that Ace had died. We’re still all in awe at the fact that he recuperated. Even if he was dead for a full minute or two for his devil fruit to have duplicated. I can’t begin to imagine how it must have been for you, as news rarely travels that far out here.”
Makino shook her head, “It took a while, but he heard. Just as we heard about Sabo, and Luffy resurfacing. Our family was complete again, especially once Mari was born.”
Shanks hummed, “She’s beautiful, and I love her name, ‘of the sea’, with genes like that I guess that’s something we cannot ever stop. She’ll find herself out at sea at one point in her life.”
Makino grinned, “When she’s old enough she can go out there as she likes, I already know I can’t stop her just like I couldn’t stop the boys, or like I wasn’t able to stop you.”
She took a deep breath, “However, I would like to join my lover as he sets out again. With the majority of the yonko related to us, and the marines in hands of Coby and Garp I don’t think that it would be that dangerous now would it?”
Shanks blinked a few times, “I suppose it wouldn’t be that bad. Not when I can start making up for all the years that I missed.”
Makino grinned, “Let’s set out for lunch first, so Mari can go down for her nap after. We still need to start this party up properly, a toast to our Pirate King.”
A cheer went around the bar where people from all kinds of crews, as well as pirates, marines and civilians alike were looking at the newly crowned Pirate King. Once again wondering and thanking the sea for letting the rubber man touch their lives in such a way that this was their way of life now.
It truly was the start of a new era, and one all of them were looking forward to starting.