Chapter 1: Xebec's legacy lives on

40 years before Marineford

In the age before Gol. D. Roger became the most famous pirate in the world, there was another pirate that ruled the seas. A pirate so malevolent, powerful, and ambitious that after his death, the World Government erased his name from history after he died. His name was Rocks D. Xebec. An Apex pirate that had been the most powerful pirate to ever live. After all, only the strongest pirate in the world could have commanded the likes of Edward "White Beard" Newgate, Charlotte "Big Mom" Linlin, Kaido, and Shiki "The Golden Lion" in their primes as his subordinates.

Currently though, Rocks had gotten some alone time away from his crew. He had the strongest pirate crew in existence but it was such a pain in the ass keeping all of them in line sometimes that he just needed to relax and de-stress. Which normally involved either looking into subjects that the World Government forbid or fucking his woman. He had honestly believed that after all this time of being together, he couldn't have children, so it was a surprise to find out that his woman, a pretty little blonde, got pregnant with his kid. He couldn't afford to take her with him anymore as both her and their kid would be a target not only for the World Government, but also by his backstabbing crew. He didn't love this woman but he did care enough about her and his progeny that he would prefer that they be safe. And so, he secretly brought her to Hand Island in the New World. He did not know it then, but his bloodline would one day change the world for better and for worse.

23 years before Marineford

On a small ship was a young man, 16 years of age. Minato D. Xebec had grownup with his mother telling him about his father, about how he was the greatest and most dangerous pirate to ever live. Not only that, he had discovered quite a bit of what the World Government had hidden away from the world. His mother also had a special devil fruit, the Eye-Eye Fruit, which she used to create eyes that allowed her to spy on events from thousands of miles away and this allowed her to see what had caused her former lover's downfall.

Well, first of all, Xebec decided to go after World Nobles after he secreted the pregnant woman away, for the first time in his career. He showed no discrimination to either Nobles or their slaves. As a result, all the bounties of the crew skyrocketed for murdering those worthless wastes of oxygen.

What followed afterwards 4 years later was the God Valley Incident— a shitstorm of truly epic proportions that nobody was really prepared for, but a select few came out of it better than most.

What was meant by a shitstorm was that the battle between the top marines at the time and the Rocks Pirates top dogs literally wiped the whole fucking island off the map. If anyone ever wondered why God Valley never appeared on maps after that point, this was thier answer. There was nothing left of it, save for a reef growing on ruins.

Rocks D. Xebec truly showed that day why he was the strongest pirate as it took the combined assault of Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp to defeat him, though Roger was taken out of the fight about 3/5 of the way through it, while Garp finished the weakened Rocks off, though it should be noted that Whitebeard had to step in to assist Garp, turning on his former captain, as even weakened and drained of Haki, Rocks was still superior to Garp. Most of the participants of the battle died. In the end, only the absolute strongest were left standing; Garp, Roger (Who barely survived his injuries), Linlin, Newgate, Kaido, Shiki and John.

But Rocks D. Xebec was dead. The Rocks Pirates were officially done for without his power to keep everyone in line. Rock's top lieutenants were Kaido, Edward Newgate, and Charlotte Linlin, all of whom had Conqueror's Haki. Only someone stronger than them could have kept 3 conquerors in line, and without his commanding presence, all the former Rocks Pirates went their separate ways.

Garp doesn't bother going after them, and neither does Roger.

But enough thinking about that incident that happened when he was still a child. Minato's mum had passed away a year ago and he had buried her on Hand Island before he began his journey. He was privy to some of the info that his old man had shared with his mother but Minato was sure that he did not want to live as a pirate. First, he needed to train, not only in Haki but Rokushiki as well. He was more than capable of training himself in Rokushiki, but Haki was another thing. While he could train himself, it was better to learn from someone experienced. Luckily, Minato knew of one such individual that could help him with this training. First he needed to convince him to train him.

Sabaody Archipelago

1 month later

Minato had landed on Sabaody with his ship. Though it is called an archipelago, it is actually a massive mangrove forest growing out from the middle of the ocean with each tree of the forest serving as an "island" on which people live. Since it is just a group of trees and not an island like those found in the Grand Line, it has no magnetic pull for which to affect a Log Pose.

Due to the place being in close proximity to the part of the Red Line bordering the first half of the Grand Line and the New World, it is a highly visited rest stop for all sorts of travelers to prepare before entering the New World. Aside from its unique environment and it being a booming business hub, it is notable for the World Nobles who visit there and a thriving slave trade supported by them. One notable slave hunting group are the Flying Fish Riders whose headquarters are several kilometers east of the area.

Still, Minato knew what he was here for and moved swiftly through the back alleys without attracting attention, as thankfully no World Nobles seemed to be here today.

Bar

An old man with graying hair reaching his shoulders, as well as a bushy goatee was currently having a drink at the bar. He had vertical scar across his left eye. He was wearing round wire-frame glasses, an orange shirt, tan shorts with black spots all over them, and sandals. He also has a sword on his side.

He might look like an easy target to many, from pirates to sea kings, at first glance. But should anyone or anything attack this seemingly harmless old man they would likely find themselves dead in a matter of seconds. This old man is none-other than the legendary Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh. The first mate of the even more infamous Gold Roger, The Pirate King. Rayleigh is one of the last few remaining members of that once powerful pirate crew.

Today was a sad for the man, however, as this was the day that the entire world watched, as one man kneeled at the top of an execution platform. Located in the heart of his home town, which was a decently sized area only a few miles away from Reverse Mountain called Loguetown.

Many gathered in the town itself and cheered for the death of the Pirate King. While others silently spectated and struggled with the impending death of a close friend. However, there were the few who either refused to watch due to their connections to Roger. Or simply because they didn't want to watch, as the World Government earned their first and final victory over the Pirate King.

Though while all this went on, Silvers Rayleigh fit into the group of people who were unable to see his friend leave the world. Thanks to the Marines wanting to capture and execute him as well.

To little surprise, Rayleigh wasn't to hurt about his absence at the execution. Who would really like to standby and watch helplessly, while their best friend is executed before their very eyes? Rayleigh surely wouldn't wish to do so, especially after he and Roger had already said their goodbyes.

So instead the Dark King chose to spend his day in a manner he found more appropriate. Drinking alone in a mostly empty bar located in the Sabaody Archipelago.

"More." The former Vice-Captain ordered, while slamming his empty glass onto the counter.

The bartender, a middle aged woman who goes by the name Shakky sighed. "I think you've had enough Rayleigh-kun." The raven haired beauty advised. "Besides your captain wouldn't want for you to be drowning your sorrows away."

Rayleigh simply nudged his glass forward. "The lectures can come a different time, for now, pour the rum." Rayleigh ordered more forcibly, but this time Shakky complied to his request.

"Here, just drink then." Shakky spoke with a small hint of irritation, before she retrieved a cigarette and gave it a light. Then by bringing it to her lips she took a deep breath, before exhaling a cloud of smoke.

Rayleigh quickly drunk the fresh rum given to him and sighed while closing his eyes. "I'm sorry for my rude behavior, Shakky-chan." The Dark King apologized, before the bar fell silent.

Shakky opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by the abrupt sound of the bar door slamming open.

At that moment a young man, sat at the bar next to Silvers. "What can I get you, hon?" Shakky asked, the tension with her lover temporarily broken.

"Sake, please," The blonde said. Shakky looked at the young man and nodded as she served him his beer. There was no such thing as a law against young people drinking though it was frowned upon by some snooty people.

"Haven't seen you around here before." The bartender commented and the old man across the bar snorted lightly before taking a slow sip of his rum.

Minato smiled, "I'm not a local." He said as she placed a bottle of sake and a cup on the counter.

"Tourist?" She continued and Minato laughed heartily.

"I'm not really a tourist either." He poured the sake, still smiling and took a long drink.

"A pirate then?" She pressed further, resting her elbow in her hand and taking another slow drag of her cigarette.

Minato hummed lightly, "Not a pirate either." He said.

Minato watched the two for a moment, smiling before turning to the old man in the corner and eyeing him curiously "So, what's the 'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh doing hanging out in a little bar like this?"

The man looked at Minato for a brief moment, his face stoic before letting out a loud bark of laughter "Shakky, this young man's drink is on me." He said.

"Hai hai." Shakky replied, chuckling lightly herself.

"What is it you find funny old, sir?" Minato asked, eyes darting between the two.

"Nothing, nothing." He said with a wave of his hand, "You just remind me of an old friend of mine."

Minato hummed as he thought Rayleigh might be talking about Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King that was just executed today.

"My boy, what's your name?" Rayleigh managed, wiping a tear from his eye as he was currently trying not to think about his best friend that had just been executed.

"Minato." He replied, "Minato Namikaze." Minato did not give out the "D. Xebec" for obvious reasons, so he used his first name from his life in the shinobi world to hide his identity.

"It's nice to meet you, Minato-san." The old man replied, "the name's Silvers Rayleigh and this is my wife Shakuyaku."

"Pleasure to meet you Shakky-san," Minato politely said before he turned to Silvers Rayleigh. "So, not to cut this short, but I actually came here for you."

'Oh, and what do you want with me, Minato-san?" Rayleigh asked.

"Well," Minato said as he closed his eyes before reopening them, emitting a shockwave that knocked out everyone else in the bar minus those three. "I can't control my Conqueror's Haki. I came to find you because you are known to be a master of it, and could help me."

23 years later

Minato, now 39 years old, lay on his deathbed. All those years ago, he had found Rayleigh and received 2 years of training from the Dark King, mastering all 3 forms of Haki before becoming a bounty hunter, capturing pirates and turning them in for their bounties. He did this because he didn't want to join the pirates and become like his father, and he also did not join the World Government because he saw first hand how corrupt they were. Anyone who thinks its okay to support the Celestial Dragons and their inhumane activities is inherently evil themselves, or at least, that's what he justified. Those people, if you could call them that, made scum like Madara Uchiha and maybe even Oroshimaru look like saints in comparison.

Minato though, did not want the responsibility of authority again. He had failed in his previous life to raise his son and protect his family because of it, and he had vowed never to let it happen again. Yes, Minato Namikaze remembered his time as the hero of the 3rd shinobi world war. How he had married his childhood sweetheart in a previous life, only for tragedy to befall them, and both of them died on the day of their sons birth. So after collecting some really large bounties, Minato settled down with his wife, who was not Kushina this time around, and had a single child. Naruto.

Minato had lost his new wife bringing Naruto into the world but he was surprised when Naruto remembered his own life and realized that Naruto had been given a new chance at life as well. He often wondered throughout the years as he raised Naruto if his beloved Kushina had been given a new life as well and where she was. Throughout the years, Minato trained Naruto to be a master in both Rokushiki and all three forms of Haki, not to mention pushed his sons body and endurance to the limit. Minato seriously doubted that the Cipher Pol division's would ever discover his existence as Rocks D. Xebec's progeny if they hadn't come after him in all this time, especially since the World Government had done everything they could to erase knowledge of his existence, though it was better to be safe by making sure his son was strong enough to protect himself, since there was no chakra in this world.

Minato had trained Naruto in how to be a bounty hunter and several years ago, Minato had taken him on a series of jobs, since by that point, they had used up the money he had made from those bounties before he had Naruto and settled in the East Blue. Unfortunately, at the end of their last job, Minato discovered he had contracted a terrible disease and Minato came to the belief that this was the reason why Gol D. Roger had turned himself in that day.

Minato turned to look at his beloved 20 year old son who looked at his dying father with tears in his eyes, who was missing his whisker arms from his first life, since he had not been born with any relation to the Nine Tailed Fox, looking like a carbon copy of Minato himself. He considered himself blessed that he was given the chance to actually raise his boy and be a good father. He turned to the crying Kushina, whom after hearing of Minato's renewed exploits as a bounty hunter, had tracked him down, and found them a week ago. Kushina was younger, only about 24 years old in this life. He only had several moments left in this world and he intended to leave it with no regrets, as the family was together at last.

"Naruto, my son, come closer." Minato asked, his strength weakening as the crying Naruto moved closer to him. "There is something I must tell you. I have kept the truth of our heritage buried for many years, but I don't want to leave this world without telling you both the truth."

"My full name in this world is Minato D. Xebec. In this world, I was the son of a pirate. This pirate was strongest and most dangerous pirate to ever sail the seas. His name was Rocks D. Xebec. This man was a very dangerous individual, such that the Government sough to erase his knowledge of his existence from the world completely. The former Pirate King was only superseded by my father who was the apex pirate ruling the seas. My father was such a master of Haki that my mother believed there was no physical way to surpass my father's haki."

Naruto hadn't heard that name spoken by anyone before, as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Who the was he, dad? He was a level above Roger?"

"He was several times stronger than Gold Roger ever was." Minato said weakly. It was true after all. The several times that Rock D. Xebec had encountered Gold Roger in the years leading up to the God Valley Incident, he casually demolished the future pirate king, nearly taking his life in each of their final two encounters.

Kushina wiped her own tears away as her husband from her first life slowly died in front of her and there was no way to find a cure in time. Despite the fact that Minato was dying, she now had to know, "Then how did Gold Roger become King of the Pirates?"

Minato shook his head staring up at the ceiling of his house, remembering his time as a child when he watched that fierce battle thanks to his mothers Devil Fruit ability as if it occurred yesterday. "Roger was defeated easily in several encounters with my father, barely escaping with his life in their last couple."

"If Roger didn't defeat him, who did?" Naruto asked as he wanted to know more about his grandfather that he had never heard off.

Minato smiled weakly, "Monkey D. Garp bested father after a spectacular battle that shook the world. My father fell to Garp, giving him the title of Hero of the Marines for triumphing against the world's greatest threat."

Naruto's mouth fell agape at the mention of this. Kushina however, still curious, held her dying first husbands hand and asked, "Xebec couldn't have conquered the seas alone, who were his crew mates?"

Minato replied, "The Rocks pirates held four other key members: Edward Newgate before he became Whitebeard. Charlotte Linlin, alternatively known as Big Mom, Kaido, and Shiki the Golden Lion were all a part of the crew that had the potential to bring the world to its knees."

So where did that leave Xebec? Could there really be someone that powerful who roamed the seas? Naruto still couldn't wrap his head around how anyone could have defeated the supposedly apex pirate. "You said earlier it isn't possible to surpass Grandfather's haki." Naruto asked his dad.

"Father's Armament Haki was an impenetrable suit of armor. His Conqueror's Haki could keep three other Conquerors in line, his Observer's Haki could see a whole minute into the future to accurately predict his opponents moves, yet his immense strength and endurance kept him unbeaten during the time the Rocks Pirates ruled. Garp was in his prime back then, and even he needed the help of his equal, Gold Roger, to have even a chance of defeating father." Naruto and Kushina were brought back to reality as he coughed up blood and his vision blurring, proof he was reaching his final moments.

"…My son, you must never reveal that you are Xebec's grandson. Your grandfather wanted to overthrow the World Government and rule the whole world, and for that, along with discovering the truth of the Void Century, the World Government buried his existence. We have been fortunate that the World Government has not discovered our existence but you must be ready for the day that they might." The crying Naruto nodded his head in acceptance of his fathers wish.

Minato smiled at his son, saying, "…I'm glad…that I was able to raise you this time around…I can only pray that was a good father to you, that I…still wasn't a failure of a father…in the end.." Minato, even now, was traumatized upon learning how the Leaf Village ahd treated his boy so harshly. He felt like a failure, he had tried his best to protect his son like a good father should, but had put his son's happiness behind the safety of his village, and his son paid dearly for that price.

It was one of the reasons he chose not to be a Marine. He would have had to once again put his family's safety 2nd to the that of people who might one day turn around and mistreat his son. Not to mention all the other crazy shit that's wrong with the World Government.

"You were, Dad. You were. I couldn't have asked for a better father!" Naruto exclaimed as he hugged his father.

Minato smiled, able to die in peace now feeling like a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "Kushina, my love. Please, keep him safe when I am gone. I know that…you weren't able to bring him into the world a second time, but he will always be our son. Yours and mine. Keep him safe. Fight with him. Spoil our grandchildren for me."

"You don't have to ask me, Minato-koi. He's our baby boy. I will always protect him!" Kushina cried, tears streaming down her face at finding her husband, only to lose him again so soon, and being unable to help him at all.

Minato D. Xebec died in the traditional manner of those who bear the Will of D, with a peaceful smile on his face, while his son and wife from his first life, mourned his death.

A week later, the mother and son duo would set out into the East Blue to start the adventure of their new lives, even though Minato wouldn't be there to share it with them.

Chapter end

The idea of Minato and Naruto being directly descend from Rocks D. Xebec is not my original idea, as I am not the first to do this, but it's one that I came across and one that I decided to do.