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Everyone had a role to play in this world and often that meant pretending to be something you’re not.
In the case of most of them, it meant pretending they were dead, unable to live with each other, or even downright hating the people they loved the most. But it worked, as in the end, a lot of those controlling the world had a rather shallow look on things so if one knew how to play it, it became easy to deceive them.
It had started back in God Valley, with Garp and Dragon’s public falling out. Where the younger Monkey chose to direct his path to one of Chaos and the elder stayed on the path of Order. At least, that’s how it seemed for the people looking in on their dynamic. They didn’t see a father and a son able to pull one one the world. Working together to make it a better place.
With everything that had happened in God Valley, they had been aware that things needed to be changed. Dragon had mentioned, before even, that he didn’t like the way things were going in the Marines even while still a recruit which ended in Garp and he came up with a plan on what to do. Seeing this, and everything that happened there, was the perfect moment they had that played out. Gapr even went to ‘rescue’ his wayward son and had said public falling out.
Also in God Valley, there had been Gol D. Roger, the future King of the Pirates, and his crew. Who was well aware of the target he was painting on his back by doing both the trip to Laugh Tale and opposing the World Government. Even if the papers did print that he was helping the Celestial Dragons by protecting them from Rocks. They had to make sure that the battle was one for the ages, and one where Garp’s word was taken as the truth, giving Rocks also a chance to escape and find his family.
The Rocks Pirates, now disbanded, did scatter and in a way it was a good thing. Give them eyes and ears in different parts of the world. As this had to be only the beginning, things were changing and they were changing fast. So a chance to get on top of that and work together to make sure that regardless of what happened now, they had allies to fall back on later in life.
“Are you sure this is a good idea, Garp,” Roger had asked him.
Humming as he took a drink of his rum, the Marine shook his head, “I don’t know if it is, Roger. I don’t know anything, really. All I do know is that all that bullshit they sprout at us isn’t the truth and I don’t know if we’ll even find it out in our lifetime. But I don’t want to look back at it years from now, and discover I did nothing.”
The future Pirate King had agreed to that, and an alliance had been formed. One where the continuous clashes of Roger and Garp (and later on; Roger and Newgate) would be used to keep each other up to date on what was going on. On who was connected where and who they needed to watch out for.
Rocks surviving and taking his wife and son to settle in the North Blue gave them eyes there. Making sure that regardless of what happened now at least this was one thing made sure they had eyes on the Blues and the Grand Line. In case something happened at one point or another where it was needed to have such alliances.
—
No one found out, not with Garp’s reputation giving the perfect cover.
As such, when he arrived at Marine Headquarters, carrying a very familiar sword with the statement that Roger was dead, no one doubted his word there. Not when the Roger Pirates disbanded and those once a part of the great crew were spotted somewhere else.
When a rumour surfaced that Roger had a legacy he was leaving behind, things did get more complicated. But Dragon had been free to move all these years. Keeping in contact with his father, and once he found a lover, through them contact with Newgate and the Whitebeard Pirates helped in getting a steady information flow and a reliable source to rely on.
Garp made the call, which is when Dragon moved in getting Roger and Rouge out of the South Blue and into the East. As people still believed that the East Blue was the weakest of seas, no one was going to look for the retired Pirate King there. Nor were they going to think that once Ace was born, that he had anything to do with the Gol Family.
“Thank you, Wani,” The former Roger Pirate thanked the child of his friend/rival as they handed him Ace once he was born.
Wani shrugged, “For all that I didn’t want to become a nurse, studying with them, Bay and Marco did help me prepare for this. The Doctor at Windmill isn’t the worst, but he is used to adults and not children. Least of all a birth where there had been complications.”
Roger hummed, looking at his sleeping wife where she was pale and getting medication to deal with said complications. Given the stress that came from believing your husband had died, as well as the rushed move across seas, Rouge had taken ill not long into the pregnancy to the point that carrying Ace to term had been a hit or miss. Luckily, with bedrest and Wani there to keep an eye out, they had managed to get the pregnancy to term and Ace delivered healthy and safe. Rouge had needed more care, and sadly, because of the strain and the bleeding that happened after, she wouldn’t be able to get any more children.
“Your son is healthy and I’m sure with some love and care, Rouge will be just fine too,” Wani left the family of three after checking up on Rouge once more. Leaving to give their father an update over a secure line and to make sure that the alliance was brought up to speed.
As of right now, while there were no eyes on Dawn, they couldn’t call their own husband or father-in-law to get them updated.
Which added another ruse to the game they were playing.
To the world Edward Wani had gotten into a falling out with their father when the man couldn’t accept that his daughter wouldn’t want to stay on the ship and be a nurse. Feeding into the nerative that he didn’t want women fighting nor on the front lines (also feeding into the fact that Whitey Bay despite years on the crew, had left to start her own). Except that isn’t what happened, Wani was welcome on the Moby Dick any time they wanted, and their father was well aware that despite being born in a woman’s body, Wani was not a woman.
But, the World Government didn’t need to know that. In their eyes Wani was an upstart that needed to be cast aside, especially after their own father did as much. Giving them a much wider playing field as they weren’t watched as closely as an Emperor or the newest ‘Most Wanted on these seas’: Dragon the Revolutionary.
In fact, Wani did end up settling on Dawn too. Finding out about three years after Ace was born that they were pregnant with their own miracle. Something they hadn’t believed possible but were overjoyed about. Something that was shared by the other parent, Dragon, as well as the two still living grandparents of the little star growing in their womb.
“Baby Brother,” Ace had gleefully exclaimed once they tried to explain to the three year old what was going on. Rouge and Wani smiled, tried to explain that it was a little different and eventually just stopped when in a family like theirs ties didn’t really matter all that much.
Sighing, Wani relented, “Or a baby sister, Ace, we don’t know yet if it’s a boy or a girl.”
Thankfully that was something that Ace had a very easy time accepting. Patting Wani’s still flat belly before turning to Rouge and babbling about how he’d be a big brother soon. The shiver of pain in Rouge’s eyes had Wani almost retracting their statement, until the strawberry blond smiled softly, “Another baby in the family sounds wonderful and he or she will have the best of the best right there at their side.”
When Luffy was born, and Ace crooned he had been right that it had been a baby brother, Dragon had been right there as Rouge and Bay helped to deliver the baby. Again, Windmill wasn’t equipped for this and going to Goa was out of the question. Luffy was born on Children’s Day, May Fifth with a cry that seemed to echo through the room and proclaim change for the generation to come.
—
The choice to leave Luffy with Roger and Rouge, while Dragon kept on working on his revolution and Wani set out to be a Pirate under a different name had been a hard one. Especially as Wani loved being there for the Portgas Family and their son. But something was telling them they needed to do this. Things were once again changing, even more so with the New World fully under Pirate Command (even if in the eyes of the World Government they were fighting over turf and whatnot every other day). New crews were popping up and the Warlord system got them a lot of issues if there wasn’t anyone there to keep an eye out.
“Check in whenever you can,” Rouge asked Wani, “We’ll look over Luffy, making sure he’s here and safe while you and Dragon are out there making sure the future is a bright one.”
She had hugged the other mom close, hoping to help as Wani was having a hard time adjusting to this. Dragon had supported them in this, and Garp was standing at the ready to endorse them into the Warlords as soon as they had a big enough bounty. Especially as Sir Crocodile, as that name was a new one and not one easily connected to Edward Newgate or the Whitebeard Pirates.
Luffy, now a toddler at three years old, and Ace at almost seven, were inseparable. Brothers, despite them not sharing blood. Growing up surrounded by family, even if it was a somewhat unconventional one, as well as in the forests on Dawn. Growing stronger like D-children should.
Wild children as they were, it was no surprise that they turned up with another boy at one point. Mentioning that Sabo had been living on the Gray Terminal after running away from home and asking that he be allowed to live with them (something neither Roger or Rouge protested).
Dragon and Wani were in for a surprise when there were suddenly 3 children there, but they welcomed Sabo into the fold without issue. In fact, Dragon even bonded with Sabo the most, as the blond had been born in nobility and grew to hate it. Eventually connecting the younger blond with two others in their family, even if they did live in the North Blue, who had been Celestial Dragons once upon a time only to be saved by Rocks and Eris when civilians wanted to kill them for what they had been once upon a time.
“No one is born good or evil, it’s your choices that define you and we all made the choice a long time ago to work towards a better future.” Roger had shared, especially once the kids had grown older. Sharing with them what had happened and what they did to prevent it from happening again.
He went on to explain that there were others in their family keeping an eye on things; on every side they could manage even. Garp was still with the Marines, even if he did take the time to meet with family whenever he had a chance. Giving them a pair of eyes there too. He traveled all over, but kept them updated either on the moments he visited Dawn, or when he passed by Newgate or more recently, Shanks.
“Shanks and Buggy were my cabin boys, and I know you both met them at more than one point,” He looked at Luffy especially, as one of the first time he had met Shanks, one of his oldest brats had been the reason his youngest brat ate a devil fruit. Given that he had a hand in Buggy eating his too, no one was too impressed by the redhaired kid. “They stayed low and while visiting, were older when Ace was born, choosing to find their own way in life and eventually finding their own crews and setting out.” Shanks had a standing as an Emperor in the New World now, while Buggy chose to keep to the blues, but had established an information network they all used. The clown gig had started as a joke, but people were always willing to overlook the freaks to the point that they all had information no one expected.
Grinning at Luffy again, Roger added that Newgate was also in the New World, together with Kaido and Big Mom, “People think they are all at odds with each other. But they aren’t, it's a play we are performing and have been performing for ages now. No one suspects a thing, as people of that magnitude aren’t likely to get along that well.”
Laughing as he explained the connections they all had, to each other, and to Rocks. Who had settled in the North once he had been ‘killed’ all those years ago. It was there he aided both Dragon and Flevence in making sure no other tragedy befell the people there. Getting one Trafalgar couple and their children located closer to them, so they could practice medicine and find a cure for their own illness. Additionally, Rocks had managed to save a couple of boys, years before, who had come down from Marigeose and had no idea what they were doing.
Rosinante had eventually agreed to spy on the Marines as a lower ranking sailor, reporting to Garp eventually. While the older of the two, Doffy, set out to be a Pirate and eventually made his way into the Warlords. Setting himself up to be quite the information broker, if one could call blackmail information and broker meaning that whoever he had blackmail on would be indebted to him for a very long time to get out of the ledger. Except if one was family, or in the alliance, he went easy on you then.
Talking about Marines, one other joined their cause after O’Hara, not able to see the destruction of the great Island and finding out that Dragon, Saul and Garp had been working together to get the books transported to Elbaph, while the people (including one Nico Robin) were safely housed in the South Blue, where no one thought to look for them.
Ace tilted his head, “So that gives us eyes in every Blue, except the West Blue, although I can imagine either Buggy, Doffy or Uncle Dragon having someone there to keep an eye out. The Grand Line is taken care of by Wani, who lives in Alabasta, as well as Uncle Ray on Sabaody and Crocus at Reverse Mountain.” Huffing, he went on, “The New World is ours and has been ours since the Emperors were announced and they don’t know.”
Rouge agreed, “No one knows, no one that can know at least. But yes, an elaborate alliance has been forced in years now. The World Government doesn’t know and we want to keep it that way. At least until we need to reveal it, that is.”
—
Ace, Sabo and Luffy, as they set out at seventeen, kept that in mind.
Ace, once he knew what he wanted and talked it over with his parents, set said towards the New World to join the Whitebeard Pirates as he wanted that freedom to sail, but also to have enough help when the possibility of someone discovering who his parents were was a very real piece of the puzzle.
Sabo, to no one’s surprise, joined the Revolutionary Army and given his own background was the perfect person to blend in at Noble gatherings, the Reverie, and even a delegation of visiting diplomats. Keeping his eyes out and finding out information no one else had. Feeding it into the alliance through the normal channels, those being his older brother or Doffy. Making sure the older blond knew what to do with it, and using it properly to make sure that regardless of what happened they kept the upper hand.
It did help that Doffy still lived at Dressrosa, having gotten the King to agree to host him there in exchange for protection. And additionally, to be the first one to hear about any tea that he could use in either conversation or in negotiations with other kingdoms.
Luffy, as the youngest, had to stay on Dawn for a lot longer. Not that he minded that much. Shanks and Buggy, when they had passed by, were often taking him along on little tours around the Blues. So he had a skeleton crew waiting for him to set out. All of them people the alliance had helped one way or another, and who felt that with this new generation they could take a more active part in making sure the World Government never saw the end of it when it was finally revealed.
Roger’s oldest boys had kept their distance at first, not wanting to interfere with the life their Captain had built now. Only to find that Ace and Luffy, and later on Sabo, had been told about their older brothers and thought the world of them.
When the reveal did come, it was once Luffy had made his way to the New World and was forced to confront the same thing his family had been fighting against since God Valley. That coupled with a new Fleet Admiral, once Sengoku found out and instead of dealing with the headache that was Garp's family, he resigned. Only to be replaced by Sakazuki, who had a much firmer hand in things.
Needless to say, the world stopped moving for just a second when legends of old resurfaced and those that had been sure they were on the path to victory were forced to see that they had lost, long before they even knew they had.
“Family is everything, regardless of how you get it.” Luffy would announce, on the shores of Laugh Tale as he officially took the crown. Showing the world a new era, one they had no idea how to act under. But one that made it clear that not everything was what it looked like, and that’s where the strength of family showed. Especially for those not willing to broaden their gaze and look at things they didn’t think about and took for granted.
Three generations had been working against the World Government and almost 50 years after this unholy alliance began, they were finally able to come out into the open and start building something new.