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Gol D. Roger had one last secret aside from the location of the One Piece. Everyone thought that the treasure he told the world about was his biggest treasure, but it wasn’t.
His true treasure was with one thief of the sea, Portgas D. Rouge, also known as ‘Hibiscus Thief’ Rouge.
The two had met before he left for the last island where the One Piece was and confessed that this very well might be the last time they ever see one another and by the end of it, Rouge had been with child as Roger sailed off to the sea, thus his most precious treasure was with her as he sent his crew to scatter into the winds and turned himself in, making sure all eyes were on him and not her or her home island.
But as a safety assurance, Roger had told only one person about his most precious treasure.
His friend and rival, the only one strong enough to protect, raise and help his child through the struggle of life.
Edward ‘Whitebeard’ Newgate, the man who saw his own crew as his children and would gladly raise Roger’s in his stead after his death.
The man had a long crew and the old wife’s tale of ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ couldn’t fit better than this scenario.
With a final laugh at his silent fuck you to the World Government and Marines, Gol D. Roger’s life ended with a slick sounding noise as swords pierced him and his head rolled.
⸻
Whitebeard looked down at the tiny wailing bundle in Bay’s arms. “How was the birth, my daughter?”
Bay frowned, shifting the bundled baby slightly and beginning to bounce to try and settle him down. “Not pretty…Miss Rouge lost a lot of blood throughout the procedure and well, she lived long enough to name the little one, but then…”
Her statement hung in the air as Whitebeard frowned softly. He never knew that he would outlive not one, but both of his closest friends in such a short period of time and yet, here he stood, while they were buried.
“I see…make sure she gets a proper burial then.” He watched as Juzo nodded, turning to make his way back inside with Haruta, before turning his attention down to the little one with Bay. “And what did she name the child?”
“His name is Ace…Gol D. Ace, yoi.” Marco answered, walking over with a warmed bottle of milk and taking the newborn gently and beginning to feed him, the bottle's nipple instantly disappearing into the little mouth as he suckled. “The last remaining treasure of Gol D. Roger and Portgas D. Rouge.”
Whitebeard sighed heavily, feeling older than his age as he took in the sight before him. “Good thing we know that it takes a village to raise a wee one, aye my children?”
The glowing faces around him only solidified his resolve to make sure that little Ace grew into a fine young man like his parents would have wanted him to be.
And thus they began to take the steps to make sure this future would be secured.
⸻
When Ace was five, they decided to head to the East Blue for a small vacation away from the eyes of the marines, which was surprisingly easy and docked at a little island tucked far into the corner of the East Blue.
They didn’t plan on staying long, but decided it would’ve been fun.
What they didn’t expect was for their youngest brother and son to return with another child the last day of their stay, looking up at them with wide heterochromatic eyes that shone and sparkled with the want and need for a new playmate as he held the blond’s hand tightly within his own.
“And why should we bring him with us, my spoiled youngest?” teased Whitebeard as he lifted the little one another his hand and then placed him on his lap as the blond child looked up at him with wide eyes.
“Because Sabo didn’t have good parents or family like you gave me…” Ace shifted, almost shyly as he looked at his lap. “You guys are always telling me how you want me to have more friends my age and I thought it would be a good idea to bring him with us, but…if you don’t want to…”
Whitebeard knew the moment Ace had brought the scraggly little thing onto the ship that the deal was long since settled, unable to turn anyone away from their ship and family. “Gurararara! You knew the answer before you even brought him here, child!”
Ace beamed, lips pulling into a smile so similar to Roger’s that Whitebeard’s heart throbbed painfully. “Thank you, dad!”
Now his heart throbbed for a different reason and Whitebeard swiftly lifted his youngest into his hands and cupped him close to his chest, ignoring his embarrassed screeches and the calls of favoritism around him.
He didn’t care in the slightest, even when Marco later teased him about the tears that had gathered in his eyes from the sweet word of ‘dad’ coming from his adopted son’s mouth.
⸻
When Ace and Sabo turned seven, they were approached by Red Haired Shanks, one of Roger’s old apprentices and another big support beam in Ace’s growing life of villagers to raise the child, who had a young one of his own by his side and a grim look on his face.
Ace and Sabo were instantly with the small child, looking at him curiously as he sent them wide brown eyes and a grin that stretched a tad bit too far. “Hi, I’m Monkey D. Luffy!”
“Red, what is going on?”
“This is Monkey D. Garp’s grandson, taken to be raised by the village of Foosha, but…” Shanks’ shoulders slumped. “He wants to be a pirate, even though Garp wants something different…”
“Then shouldn’t you have left him back there and let them deal with that instead of taking him from the island, yoi?” Marco pressed, watching as the three children began to play scuffle on the deck of the Moby with attentive blue eyes.
“Perhaps, but I didn’t feel right leaving him there, knowing Garp would return and most likely try to find a way to try and stop Luffy from doing what Luffy wants to do and instead try to force him like he did with Dragon. The man has been sporadic since Captain’s passing all those years ago.”
Whitebeard hummed in thought. He knew the true reason for Garp’s sporadic thoughts and actions these days. The man had been warned that Roger may have conceived a child, but when they couldn’t find out who or where, they went on a search of the entire East and South Blue, razing many pregnant women down in their work to do so, until the day he stopped by the Moby Dick and caught sight of Ace.
The child looked like both his parents and upon learning that Roger had entrusted Whitebeard with his child, rather than him and believing that they were going to ruin the boy, the old marine had gone out of his way to really crack the whip down on pirates, even those who didn’t cause as much trouble.
It was truly heartbreaking, knowing the man’s belief that if they were marines rather than their own people, Luffy and Ace would’ve been spared from their bloodlines.
“So, why did you bring him here?” Whitebeard ticked an eyebrow up at the redhead, who flushed slightly. “You know the dangers of raising a child on the sea. You’ve experienced it and you’ve seen the dangers Ace and Sabo go through with us. So, I would’ve thought you would have left him home to find his own path.”
“Shanks told me a nice old man with a mustache and kids would love to have me!” The little child shrieked gleefully right as his arm stretched an insane distance from Ace and Sabo pulling on it.
“A Devil Fruit?” Marco raised his eyebrow, turning to look back at Shanks. “Really?”
“It was an accident and he’s not wrong with what I said either…he didn’t seem to have any friends on Dawn, so I thought this would be a good idea.” Shanks shrugged helplessly, looking at Whitebeard once more. “Unless…?”
“There is no unless, brat. You brought him here, he’s mine now.” Whitebeard rolled his eyes childishly as Shanks beamed, turning to look at the three children once more. “You hear that tiny rubber child? You’re my son now!”
There was only giggles and laughter as the boys began to play once more, leaving Whitebeard to huff fondly as he turned to Marco, warm amber eyes glinting slightly. “Looks like the village’s work won’t be done for some time, son.”
“As if it ever is, yoi.” agreed the other, a grin on his face as he leapt down to wrangle the children together for lunch. “Come on, you demons, lunch time!”