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"That's it, then." Newgate puts down the newspaper. Not surprised, of course. He'd known it was coming. Roger had told him himself that he didn't have long left. So he was prepared for the news.
Of course, the old bastard couldn't even go and die in a way that'd make things easy. No glorious final battle. Just an execution that might have made the marines feel bold, if he hadn't immediately plunged the world into chaos.
The One Piece. So many fools are gonna flock to the oceans now, the Seas might even start feeling crowded. Crowded by fools who don't don't what they're doing and are as like as not to get themselves killed.
"Damn that Roger. Always leaving a mess behind, everywhere he goes. Even Rayleigh won't be able to clean this one up."
"You really think he'll try?" Marco is trying to sound flippant, but Newgate knows his boy better than that. Marco is shaken, by all of this. Roger probably felt like something that would last forever, to him.
He's just not old enough to remember when Rocks felt the same way.
Newgate reaches out, putting a hand on his boy's shoulder. "No, he won't. Not when this was Roger's last wish, his final act. Rayleigh loves his captain too much to do something like that."
Or to be in any shape to even try. Rayleigh, right now, is probably getting as drunk as Shakky will let him. Newgate guesses he'll stay that way for a while.
"Right. So what do we do now?" Marco obviously needs something to do, some sort of distraction.
Newgate can give him that.
"You fly ahead to the ship and tell the crew to get everything we need to set sail." Newgate instructs him. "Sabaody is gonna be flooded with marines soon, looking to get ahead of the chaos."
"We could fight. I'm not scared of marines, Pops, we don't need to run."
Newgate laughs. "We aren't running, son."
He can understand Marco's impulse. To lash out, for a grief that isn't something they can really show for an old rival. To want to hurt the marines, even if Newgate knows that it was Roger's sickness that did him in. Fighting is easy.
But that's also why he isn't going to let his sons fight right now. Not if they don't have to.
And if any marines force the issue, Newgate will make them regret it.
"Now go back to the ship. I'll be along in a bit."
Marco huffs, obviously frustrated, but wings appear on his back in a flare of fire. Newgate watches him as he flies, until he loses sight of him. Marco should be fine, but this is Sabaody. A bit of caution is just good sense.
Then he turns and walks away. Toward a liquor store he's visited more than once over the years. Tonight is going to need something special.
Until a familiar shade of red catches his attention. He just spots it out the corner of his eye, but Newgate doesn't have to think before he's turning.
What is the boy thinking, being here at a time like this? What is Rayleigh thinking, letting him? Enough people in Sabaody will know what Roger's boys looked like, neither of them should just be wondering around.
Especially since Newgate knows that none of the crew are here. His Observation would have spotted them.
It only takes a few steps to cross the distance between them, Newgate easily picking Shanks up by the back of the silly cape he's wearing.
"Let go of me." Conqueror's pulses out of the brat, so Newgate give him a quick shake.
"Quit squirming, brat. What are you doing here?" Not that Newgate is waiting for an answer. No, he's already changed course to head back towards the Moby. Looks like his plans for tonight have changed, now that he has another brat to take care of.
(Something to do for an old rival. And a boy who's grieving, who shouldn't be alone right now.)
"I said let go. I'll–"
The boy falls silent as Newgate flares his own Conqueror's for a second without thinking. Not enough to actually hurt Shanks of course. The boy has been around when Newgate has thrown around far stronger haki. But enough to remind him who he's talking to.
The surprise is that he stays silent, all the way back to the ship. He's never been one to be quiet, even if he doesn't screech as much as Roger's other brat.
Newgate is gonna have to find out if that one is here too.
Curse you Roger, Newgate think. If you were going to leave your kids like this, couldn't you have at least warned me?
Warning or not, Newgate has watched these brats grow up. Not the same as his own sons, but Newgate isn't going to leave them to die. Not when he can do something about it.
"Pops, I thought–" Marco flies to perch on his shoulder, before he must get a good look at who exactly Newgate brought with him. "Shanks?"
"Found him just in the street." Newgate tells his son. "Think we're gonna be having a guest for a while. Maybe two."
Marco nods, even as the brat starts struggling again. "Unhand me! You don't have the–"
Brat yelps as Newgate does as he asks, dropping him on the deck. He scrambles up and onto his feet quick though, glaring at Newgate and pulling out a sword.
Newgate frowns. Because this isn't right. He'd expect the brat to be upset, not looking a mix of terrified and furious. Brat's never been scared of him before.
Shanks has never looked like this before, either. Hair longer than Newgate has ever seen it, wearing clothes that are fancy and would get ruined in an instant. Something about this isn't right.
"Shanks–" Marco starts to talk, but the brat cuts him off.
"How do you know my brother? I demand you tell me where he is and release me this instant." The words are clipped, furious. And they reveal that Newgate might have made a mistake. "He's been missing for too long, I'm bringing him home. If you don't cooperate, I'll have your head."
"You'll have my head?" Newgate tilts his head back, laughing. "You have guts, brat, I'll give you that."
"Pops–"
"You can stick around, til we run into the other brat. I want to hear the story of how there's two of you."
"I will not!" The brat bristles, a growl seeming to come from his sword. Devil Fruit, then. "I have duties, more important things to do then waste my time with a bunch of pirates. You–"
"Wasn't a request, brat." Newgate grins as he says it. Looks like something good has come out of today.
What a fun surprise.