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Waves lapped lazily at the stone of Logue Town’s port. The Oro Jackson had safely returned its captain home once more, back to the familiar safety of East Blue. Next to it, two smaller boats were moored, each without a flag, too small to house a full crew, and far from durable enough to withstand the extremes of the Grand Line.
Roger just let his gaze wander for a moment, until he heard light, unsteady steps approaching from behind.
They were new, and yet they felt like echoes of the past.
An eternity ago, just yesterday, Shanks’ steps had sounded just like that. Wobbly and yet determined to stand on his own and explore whatever sparked his curiosity. He never made it far, at first, because Buggy was always following him, crawling as fast as he could. And of course Buggy had never been able to just let Shanks get ahead of him, so he’d grabbed onto him, trying to get up as well. But little Shanks hadn’t been strong enough to support them both, and so they’d toppled over.
Again and again, much to the amusement of the whole crew.
Ace had no little sibling to bring him down, and so he made it to his father without accident. One hand instantly clutched Roger’s leg, while the other was raised, signalling he wanted up.
Never able to resist his son, Roger picked him up, settling Ace in his arms.
“Look, that’s Logue Town, where your dad was born! I was tiny back then, just like you are now!”
Ace stared at the city with great curiosity. Even if he was capable of speaking a few select words – one of which was ‘dada’ and really what more did he need, this one was enough to make Roger the proudest and happiest father alive – Ace generally preferred to communicate through intense looks, and screaming whenever he was unhappy.
Shanks and Buggy had always babbled at each other. Even when they’d just been able to spill nonsense syllables out of their mouths, it had been like they were having whole conversations through tone alone that no adult could follow.
Roger wasn’t worried, though. Ace would speak when he wanted to. Until then, Roger was happy just talking to him like this.
“But, even if I grew up over there, my home has always been right here.” Out on the sea, on this ship, with his crew. With his family.
The streets of Logue Town had shaped him, but they were just the prologue to the story of his life. It hadn’t truly begun until he set sail for the first time. The wind and waves had filled his empty shell with a dream, led him across the world to the people he loved, told him the story that made it all worth it, and crowned him king.
Roger wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“I’m going first!”
“Like hell you are!”
A loud crash followed the yells, and Roger couldn’t help but grin, which little Ace mirrored.
Oh, it was about to get so quiet on the Oro Jackson.
Sure, they were a rowdy bunch, and they’d keep having amazing parties filled with music and song, but… it wouldn’t be the same.
Even if they hadn’t been there from the start, Roger could hardly imagine his life without the constant background noise of his apprentices squabbling over everything and nothing. From food to chores to life philosophy, they couldn’t ever agree on anything.
“I’m older!”
“An idiot is what you are! I’m showing you mercy by going first, that way you won’t embarrass yourself in front of me when you capsize thirty seconds after setting sail!”
“Take that back! I can sail just as well as you, if not better! And even if I do capsize, at least I can swim!”
“And whose damn fault is it that I can’t fucking swim huh?!”
“Your own!”
“Enough!” As usual, the fight was ended swiftly the moment Rayleigh got tired of listening. “Can’t you be civil for one day? Just set sail at the same time, it’s not that hard, and it doesn’t really matter anyway. You have plenty of time.”
So reasonable, and yet both Shanks and Buggy huffed and turned away from the first mate with a pout.
“I don’t wanna set sail with him,” Buggy complained, “he’ll get in my way.”
“As if. For the record, I’m going south, because I’ve heard of someone cool living on an island in that direction and I’m calling dibs. Don’t you dare follow me.” Shanks narrowed his eyes at Buggy to convey he meant his threat.
Buggy seemed offended by even the suggestion. “I’d never follow you. I have my own plans, and they’re up north, but I’m not stupid enough to tell you.”
Shanks rolled his eyes. “It’s probably just some lame treasure.”
“It’s not lame!”
Roger could see Rayleigh’s eyebrow twitch, a tell-tale sign he was about to hit them again. Feeling merciful, he decided to intervene before that. “Looks like your courses are set, then. You got everything you need?”
“Yup, got it all right here.” Shanks patted the large bag he was holding.
“I’ve been packed since yesterday,” Buggy added.
“Good good.” Roger looked them over. “All that’s left is to say goodbye, then.”
His boys had really grown. Chubby baby cheeks had grown more angular over the years, and were now adorned with stubble. Both of their stances were firm, unperturbed by the slow rocking of the waves. A sword was tucked into Shanks’ belt, while Buggy was carrying knives and a gun.
There had been years when Rayleigh had limited them to wooden swords and water pistols, and years of training to be allowed to handle real weapons, but now they owned them as a matter of course.
For all of the pride Roger held for their growth, he still wished he wouldn’t ever have had to see the day they first truly used them, the day they drew the blood of an enemy and felt the weight of it in their soul. It was the loss of an innocence they could never get back. But if they were to brave the seas on their own, it was an innocence they had to lose one way or another. There was no way around it in this world they lived in.
In that sense, Roger was glad he’d been there, to hold them through the night after.
He wouldn’t be there the next time something bad happened to them. They’d have to handle it on their own.
Roger knew they could.
Somewhere on their journey, his boys had turned into men.
They were still young, so, so young, but there was no reason to hold them back anymore.
Roger smiled. “The seas are wide, but our paths are sure to cross again. I can’t wait to see the men you’ll be next time we meet!”
Ah, damn, now it looked like they were both about to cry. Still not as tough as they liked to pretend to be, huh.
Honestly, Roger hoped they’d never grow too tough. With a grin, he lifted one of Ace’ tiny arms to make him wave. “Come on, it’s time to say goodbye to your brothers. They won’t be back for a while!”
Ace looked up at Roger, and then to his brothers.
“Bye bye.”
His soft little baby voice was very serious, to match the occasion. It broke whatever restraint Shanks and Buggy had left, and they both dropped their bags, scrambling forward to pull Ace out of Roger’s arms and hug him tightly between them.
They knew not to pull at him or fight over him in any way other than verbally. They’d done it once and Rouge had strung them up on the mast for a whole night.
“Don’t worry Ace, your big bro Shanks will be back to visit and bring the best adventure stories!”
“I’ll bring you little treasures as souvenirs, so don’t miss me too much, alright?” Buggy of course tried to offer to outdo Shanks.
Which Shanks couldn’t let stand. “Ah, forget all that, I’ll just take you with me! We’ll have so much fun together! You can be the crew mascot.”
“Mascot? I’ll make you my apprentice, so there’s no reason to go with stupid Shanks.”
“Hey!” Roger interrupted the conversation. “Ace is staying right here!”
They didn’t listen to him at all.
Some things never changed.
Rayleigh stepped forward, putting one arm around each of their shoulders. “Boys.” Instantly, they quieted down, the only sound being Ace’ little giggles between them. “Both of you are way too young to take care of a child. Go out there and enjoy your freedom, but don’t do anything too stupid or reckless. I’ve gone this long without growing a single grey hair, I don’t need to read in the newspaper how one of my brats decided to fight Garp or something.”
“Aw, but we’ve been trying so hard to give you grey hairs,” Shanks whined, making no move to squirm out of Rayleigh’s embrace as he was prone to, usually. “Can’t really let Ace have that honour when we’ve been doing all the setup.”
Buggy laughed, remarkably also not escaping, even though his devil fruit would’ve made it very easy. “Come on, we both know it’ll be Captain who’ll finally make that first grey hair appear. None of us are a match to him.”
Shanks shrugged. “Yeah, but I’ve been trying.”
“Horrible brats, the both of you.” Roger huffed, then stepped forward to wrap his arms around them as well. “I’ll miss you.”
Damn, now his own voice sounded way too watery.
He’d promised himself he wouldn’t cry, that he’d see them off with a smile. It was a reason to celebrate!
And still, tears stole themselves into his eyes against his will. “Remember you can always come home, okay? We’re proud of you, and we love you. Even if you’re adults now, you’ll always be our sons.”
“Aw, come on,” Buggy whined, “you don’t have to say it!”
“Yeah,” Shanks added, “we already know.”
They were definitely starting to cry, now, too, and Roger pulled them closer to his chest. He didn’t want to let them go, he wanted to hold them forever and protect them from everything horrible in the world.
As everyone started joining the hug and piling on top of them, Roger got his wish for a few minutes. Just his family all around him, and his three boys safely in the middle of it all.
Until Buggy had enough. He split himself up into parts and dragged himself and his bag away from everyone. “We’ll never go at this rate, so. I’m off!”
“Hey! Wait, stop, damn it!” Shanks pushed himself through the mass of the crew on pure strength alone. “You don’t get to go first!”
Buggy was seconds ahead as they both jumped over the railing into the boats the crew had prepared for them, but he struggled just enough when reaching inside of his bag that Shanks could catch up.
Both of them climbed up the masts in unison to tie the black flag to it.
Two Jolly Rogers displayed for the first time, one with crossed swords and one with a big, red nose.
Of course no son of Roger would ever sail on a ship without the symbol of freedom and pride.
As they unfurled their sails, Shanks was the first to turn back. “I’m my own captain now,” he announced, looking straight at Roger, “so I’m not gonna call you Captain anymore.” As his boat got picked up by the current, he rested one arm on the straw hat Roger had gifted him all those years ago, and raised the other to wave goodbye. “In that sense… Thanks for everything, dad!”
…What?
“Yeah,” Buggy shouted, “I’ll become a great pirate, better than all of you, you’ll see! So be prepared for that, dad!”
Now? Really? How was that fair? All these years and they’d always refused. Never, not even once had they- How was he supposed to hold back his tears like that? They were flowing so freely now that his beautiful moustache was soaked!
“Just you wait, I’ll be even greater!” Shanks countered before Roger could pull himself together enough to respond in any way.
“Ugh, can’t you let me have the last word one time?”
“Never!”
Even as their boats were drifting in opposite directions, they were yelling at each other. Up until the last possible second.
Roger could hear the deep breath Rayleigh was taking next to him. “Stop fighting and just get out of here, you brats!” His voice was much steadier than anything Roger could’ve managed.
Right up until Shanks and Buggy called back in unison.
“Love you too, dad~”
Even with his vision clouded by tears, Roger could see Rayleigh push up his glasses to wipe at his eyes.
Their sons’ laughter rang over the waves, and even as he wanted to keep them by his side, Roger could feel nothing but joy. They wanted to go out to sea and be free, and now they were on their way to fulfil their respective dreams.
It was the best gift a father could receive.
“Good luck out there!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. “Take hold of your dreams and don’t let go!”
It was a like a dam broke, as everyone started shouting their own encouragements after their former apprentices.
“Break a leg!”
“Don’t drown!”
“Don’t get lost!”
“Remember to eat vitamins or suffer scurvy like the idiots you are!”
“Wash your clothes from time to time!”
“Stay safe!”
“Do a funny face for your wanted posters!”
“Have a good time!”
They all shouted until the boats were nothing but specks on opposite ends of the horizon, and their throats were raw.
Somehow, even as he was laughing, Roger still couldn’t stop his tears.
Rouge quietly appeared at his side, tucking herself and Ace under his arm. For a moment, Roger held her close, until she spoke up.
“Is now a good time to mention that Buggy took a good chunk of our treasure without asking?”
Next to her, Gaban cackled. “Shanks didn’t take any money, but he did raid the pantry enough that we can’t set sail again without restocking.”
Rayleigh shook his head. “Damn brats… Next time I see them…”
A laugh bubbled up from Roger’s stomach, loud an boisterous and filled with fondness. His boys knew damn well they could’ve just asked, and Roger would’ve given them everything he owned. But they still had to do it like this.
“It’s fine. A pirate takes what he needs. Just means I taught ‘em well.”
“If you say so, Captain.”
“I do say so.” Roger knew his first mate well enough to tell he wasn’t actually upset, either. Probably more proud, considering that they’d managed to sneak behind his back.
They all watched the boats slowly disappear beneath the horizon.
“They’re really gone,” Rayleigh mumbled. “I’ll be honest, I’d be less worried if they at least left together. Stubborn idiots can’t see how well they complement each other.”
“They’ve always been together, haven’t they?” Rouge asked. “So they can’t know what it’s like to be apart. For better or for worse, they’ll learn now.”
Yeah. From when they were just tiny little toddlers, it had always been the two of them. Roger couldn’t begrudge them for wanting independence, for wanting to be by themselves and do something exactly the way they wanted to, without someone right next to them who wanted to do it completely differently.
Still, he worried.
Today, they’d sail full of excitement, and fall asleep beneath the stars.
Tomorrow, they’d wake up on their boats, with nothing but the sea around them.
More than 30 years ago, when Roger had woken up all by himself on a shabbier boat for the first time, he’d taken a deep breath and felt nothing but freedom in his veins.
But he’d always been alone, and he had never been free up until that moment.
His boys had always been free, but they’d never been alone before.
Would they wake up, look at the endless, empty expanse of ocean, and feel lonely?
Roger wouldn’t be able to do anything. He wouldn’t even know.
But that was what they’d wanted. It was why they left. To learn, without Roger at their side.
“Maybe their journeys will lead them back together, or they’ll lead them ever further apart. It’s their journey to take.”
As strange as it sounded to him, what had been the biggest chapter in Roger’s life was only their prologue. Their stories could lead anywhere from here. All those adventures and experiences made for a unique beginning, that was for sure, but it was no guarantee for anything. It would be up to them, and to fate, to lead the story to their dreams.
They had every right to do with their life whatever they wanted.
Roger had turned his back on the city he was born in, and on the way of life its inhabitants had taught him. He’d be a stranger walking its streets now. After all, he’d only been able to become himself by leaving it behind.
If Shanks or Buggy or both of them found their happiness far away from him or in ways he couldn’t understand, who was he to judge?
He had to let them go, so he did.
Still, Roger was a pirate. He wouldn’t take their freedom, but he could still be selfish in his wishes.
And so, he turned to the sea in a desperate plea, the closest someone like him could ever come to a prayer.
Old friend, you’ve carried me through all these years, you’ve brought me freedom and glory and joy. My life is yours, as will be my death. You’ve given me everything, and yet I have one more thing to ask. One day, please carry my children back to me.