Inspired by ASL in Red by Kereea on AO3

The first couple of chapters are prologues, going over the alterations I make in different characters' histories. The characters I will be going over are the ASL Trio - who tie into Usopp, Zoro - who ties into Sanji, Koala - who ties into Nami, and Law. The ASL Trio are the only ones who have more than one chapter.

Future pairings include MarcoAce, SaboKoala, LuffyLaw, ZoroSanji, and ThatchIzo. Other pairings are actually still be decided at the moment (for one of them, I'm having trouble choosing between Robin/Vivi or Nami/Vivi).

So anyway, I hope you enjoy my story! :)

Prologue 1 Part 1: Go Red

...

The Captain's in a bad mood.

Benn supposes it's to be expected. After all, it's the anniversary of Roger's death, the anniversary of the day Miss Rouge went missing. Shanks always gets like this on this day; stops being the fun-loving, party-going drinker the crew is fond of, and he stews silently somewhere far enough away from the crew for them to not get caught up in it, but close enough to reach them quickly if something happens. The Red-Haired Pirates have all learned to avoid him on this day; don't say a word to him, and he won't snap at you in return.

Which is why Benn can't help but feel a sense of foreboding when Vice-Admiral Garp hops his way onto their ship with a heavy thunk.

Benn and Yasopp keep on either side of Shanks, guns at the ready. They're not sure if there will actually be a fight. It's impossible to tell with Garp, the man is far too unpredictable. But Benn feels a sense of nervousness, because his Captain is in a vulnerable mood right now, and Garp doesn't look to be in the best of moods, either.

No, Garp is normally all grins and bellows and insane laughter as he makes a game out of fighting Shanks, and Shanks usually plays along. Because it's fun, Benn. But right now, there's a furrow to his brows that Benn can't tell if it's worry or anger, and there's a frown on his face as his gaze zeros in on Shanks, sitting on a barrel between Benn and Yasopp, head bowed and hiding his eyes, sword gripped far too tightly in his remaining hand.

Something's not right about this visit, but Benn isn't sure what. Garp isn't in his Marine uniform, he's in a simple black suit. There's no Marine ship behind him to back him up, but a simple one-man ship that is completely dwarfed by the size of the Red Force. Garp isn't laughing or calling Shanks a disrespectful, grandson-stealing brat (and wasn't that a shock, learning that Little Luffy was this insane fool's grandchild?), or tossing canon balls like it's a sport.

"Oh," Benn holds back a wince at the tone of his Captain's voice, dark and shaky, like he's trying to hold in all of his anger at the world that took the closest thing he had to a father and mother away from him, "Would you look at this. Garp the Hero's come to say hello to me. That's too bad for you, Mr. Hero. I'm not in such a good mood right now."

The hand on his saber tightens, and Benn can hear the redhead's knuckles cracking from where he stands.

"Roger's death day," Garp states flippantly, and Benn closes his eyes in resignation, "Got you in a pouty mood, does it?"

Shanks doesn't react, at least not visibly, and Benn can only be grateful for it.

"What do you want?" Shanks asks lowly.

"A favor," Garp responds. There's a reluctance in his tone, and Benn can tell that the last thing the man wants is to come to Shanks, and he wonders what could've possibly happened that Garp is lowering his standards to pirates.

Shanks releases a laughing scoff, no humor in his tone, and he finally lifts his eyes to take in Garp's form, irises constricted in a way that usually bodes badly for anyone under that gaze, "A favor? And why should I do anything for you, Mr. Hero? What's in it for me, exactly?"

"Keeping your Captain's dying wish alive."

There's a silence, long and heavy, before Shanks suddenly snaps.

"And what the hell does that mean?"

"I'm sure you know," Garp sighs, looking far too tired, "The precautions the Marines took to ensure that Roger's bloodline would never continue."

Shanks smirks darkly, "You mean, do I know about the Marines year-long stay in Baterilla, murdering every pregnant woman they came across? Yes, I know about your precautions."

"He survived."

There's a pause before Shanks jerkily tilts his head, "Excuse me?"

"His name is Ace," Garp continues in a softer voice that's so unlike his usual bellow, ignoring the darkening glower, and the older man gazes unseeingly at some point beyond Shanks, and Benn can only assume what he's seeing is this Ace, "He's got Roger's temper, you know. But, he's got a friend that's been teaching him patience, so it's starting to become harder and harder to ignite it; I can only assume he got that semblance of patience from Miss Rouge. He's hardheaded and stubborn and he can be a mean little brat like Roger, but he most certainly got Miss Rouge's sweeter personality. He looks just like her, too, you know. He's got Roger's dark hair, but Miss Rouge's curls. He's got her freckles and her lighter skin and her smile, but he's got Roger's eyes and the shape of his nose and jaw. And he's gonna grow up and turn heads the same way his mother did; he's already on his way to be being just as beautiful as she was. It's just too bad Roger won't be here to put the fear of god into anyone that looks his way; that would have made for some entertainment, I bet."

Shanks' face softens for a moment, and Benn thinks he might be trying to picture this boy (the Pirate King's boy, fuck sakes, could this day get any weirder?), his Captain's son, a boy Shanks could have probably called a little brother had it not been for the tragedy that befell the Gol family.

Shanks' attention quickly snaps back to Garp, "And why are you telling me this?"

"Because rumors have started," Garp states, "Ace was seen running through one of Goa's towns with his friends, and someone was upset enough to make a phone call to the Marines. Someone decided to investigate and... now they're trying to make a connection between Ace and Roger. I need you to take him before they do, because it's only a matter of time. Portgas isn't a common name, even less so on people with dark hair."

"...And what happens if I don't?"

"Either the Marines storm Dawn Island and take Ace, killing anyone who tries to help him, or they simply shoot him on the spot, along with Luffy and Sabo for associating with him."

Shanks jerks along with a few other crew members, "Luffy?"

"Yeah," Garp huffs out a chuckle, "Luffy and another boy, Sabo, fancy themselves as Ace's brothers. They won't leave him behind, and they sure as hell won't leave him to the Marines' mercy. They'd rather die with him. My only other option is to take the three and run, and more than likely get caught."

"You want me to take those boys in for protection?" Shanks tilts his head again, looking far calmer than before, "Why not just Ace?"

Garp sighs through his nose in frustration, "Because my son... my son is a fool that doesn't stop to consider how his actions will affect his family. Dragon the Revolutionary is Luffy's father. Even without Ace by his side, Luffy would be in danger. Sabo, too. A Noble that ran from home, and you and I both know that Nobles running is a death sentence."

"If the Marines don't go for Ace, they'll go for Luffy," Shanks mutters, looking thoughtful, "And if they don't go for Luffy, there's always a chance that this Sabo leaving home was insulting enough for the Nobles to pay off the Marines to go after him. For god sake, Garp, you couldn't have had less troublesome grandkids?"

Garp grins, the heavy mood finally broken, and he bellows loudly, "Bwahahaha! It's less fun that way!"

Shanks sobers up a little, "But... I guarantee you... that Ace is the one in the most danger. Even with Captain's death handing the title of Most Wanted Man in the World over to Dragon, he's still considered far less of a threat than the Marines ever considered Captain. They may very well go after Luffy, if only to use him as a hostage against Dragon, but Ace would always be their main target..."

"Yes," Garp nods grimly, "Ace's capture would make far more of a statement than Luffy's would."

There's another silence, and the crew looks between their Captain and the Vice-Admiral with baited breath. Because Garp the Hero has admitted to betraying the Marines by keeping the Pirate King's child alive, by keeping the Revolutionary's child alive, and he admitted it to a pirate no less. He's here, practically begging their Captain to take these children in, and if the Red-Haired Pirates know their Captain well enough, then...

"I'll take them," Shanks states, sighing a bit, and Garp seems to perk up, looking far more like his usual (batshit insane) self, "Captain's son, Anchor, and... Sabo, was it? It shouldn't be too hard, my crew and I head to the East Blue all the time, so no one would think twice about it. Besides, I haven't seen Miss Makino in a while..."

Garp snorts, muttering, mouth very nearly dropping into a pout, "Damn fool girl... letting you charm her..."

"Ah, but it was I who was charmed, Mr. Hero," Shanks admits jovially, "She's got those eyes, you know?"

Garp snorts again, looking at Shanks in resigned agreement, "Don't I know it? She's used them on me quite a bit."

Shanks chuckles a bit, and Benn snorts in agreement himself, because he has seen the kinds of things Makino could convince Shanks to do with her eyes alone. Usually something involving Luffy. Benn himself can admit to getting caught up in them a couple of times.

Shanks sighs again, carefully lifting himself off the barrel. Benn steps a bit closer in case he needs help, because his Captain is still getting used to having only a single arm to work with, even a year later (losing an arm isn't exactly something one gets over in a couple of months) and he tends to lose his balance from time to time.

He glances at Garp, giving him a single nod that Garp quickly returns before bellowing out, "Change coarse! We're headed to the East Blue!"

As Benn watches Garp jump overboard and onto his own boat, he can't help but feel life aboard the Red Force is going to get a bit more interesting.

Garp takes a different route, one that gets him to Dawn Island far faster than the Red Force and one that draws the least amount of suspicions from the Government so that they would not be able to connect Garp with the Red-Haired Pirates.

They reach Fuschia in a little under a week, a record time considering they traveled there all the way from the New World.

Garp is already there, waiting for them. No one comes out the greet them, and they can only assume Garp forbade them from doing so. In order to safely remove the boys, no one can see them; this way, should an investigation - which, will more than likely happen - be requested, the villagers can claim they saw nothing.

No one says a word, not even Garp, when Shanks immediately makes a beeline for Party's Bar.

Miss Makino looks up from her work of cleaning glasses when the batwing doors swing open with Shanks' entrance, and she greets him with a beaming smile.

"Ah, Captain!" She says softly, "I wasn't expecting you. Mr. Garp is making everybody stay inside, so I thought there would be scarier pirates showing up."

Shanks holds his hand over his heart mockingly, "You don't find me scary? My pride, Miss Makino!"

She simply releases a small, serene giggle before replying, "Well, Luffy will be excited to see you back. And Ace and Sabo will be able to thank you like they've been planning."

"Oh?"

"Mm," She hums, "Luffy found himself some big brothers who wish to thank you for taking care of him. If you hadn't, they wouldn't have been able to meet each other, and I'd hate to think about what could've happened to Luffy or how different Little Ace would be without Luffy around."

She frowns at the thought, brows furrowing in worry. It's true that Sabo helped Ace through his insecurities and his anger at the world quite a bit, but Luffy helped brighten his day and make him smile. She fears that without Luffy's naive, unconditional love, Ace wouldn't be the same person. She wishes she knew what the world has done to him to make him so sad, but she knows he won't tell her, at least not yet. She's just glad she got to bond with him enough that he allowed her to see the side of him only Luffy and Sabo know about; he even let her teach him a few tricks.

She smiles when she thinks back on the day they had spent together, just the two of them, and how Ace had actually looked like the child he was during her teachings, with open curiosity and determination to get it right.

"Speaking of them..." Shanks sighs heavily, taking a seat at the barstool in front of her.

"You're here for them, aren't you?" Makino interrupts, a serene smile making its way onto her face as she resumes cleaning the wine glasses in front of her, "That's why Mr. Garp has everyone waiting inside, yes?"

"You're too smart for your own good, girl," Shanks grumbles, "You shouldn't be able to read me like that. I'm me."

She releases a rather unladylike snort, "And that's exactly why I can read you so easily."

She stares at him for a moment, her face sobering, "Are they in danger? I've always wondered why Mr. Garp tried to keep Ace away from the village. The only times I see him are when he sneaks past everyone. Nobody in this village actually knows who he is. I didn't even know until Luffy dragged him and Sabo down the mountain to meet me, so I've wondered..."

"Aye," Shanks answers, "Mr. Vice-Admiral asked us to take them."

She stares at him some more. She knows full well how Garp felt about pirates - she's had to listen to him bellow enough about allowing "the Red-Haired brat to swoon her" - so for him to ask pirates to take the boys he considers grandsons... she may not know the whys or hows, but she most certainly knows this means someone is after her boys.

But she's not as worried as she probably should be. Because those boys are strong, and Shanks is here to take care of them.

"You better be careful, Captain," She smiles, "Those boys are rather protective of each other. One wrong move, and even Luffy will be on your case."

Shanks chuckles, "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"Go get them," She says, turning toward the staircase, "I'm going to go pack a few things for Ace."

"For Ace?" Shanks blinks, but she's already heading upstairs, muttering something about how 'they were supposed to practice again this week, but this will have to do', and he blinks again before shrugging. He supposes it's no business of his, but something between Ace and Makino. If Ace wants to tell him, that's fine, but for now, Ace doesn't know him, so it might be a while to reach that point and the boy deserves privacy.

He excites the bar, sharing a nod with Garp, who begins leading them past the village and through the jungle Shanks noticed the last time he was here, but ignored in favor of the bar, Makino, and Luffy. He remembers catching a glimpse of it when that bandit dragged Luffy through a small portion of it to reach the coast the Sea King lives in, but the coast was in a shallow part of the jungle, barely a piece of it, and so Shanks can't help but be surprised by the sheer size of the animals they come across. And Luffy is living here now, with two other boys? Is this even safe for children? A glance at Benn and Yasopp shows similar thoughts passing through their eyes.

They reach a rather homey looking cabin in a small space cleared of forestry, and there's a large woman, almost larger than even Garp, there waiting for them. Her glare immediately hones in on Shanks, and he sees her clench the cigarettes in her mouth between her teeth, arms crossing in a form of stubborn intimidation.

"Dadan," Garp greets, "How are they?"

"Sabo's burns still hurt," She says, "I don't think he'll be able to see out of his eye very well even after they heal. The three are still scared of fire, Sabo especially. Though, I s'pose that's to be expected."

Garp sighs heavily, warily, and Shanks spares him a glance, "What does that mean?"

"Pirates," Garp spits out before calming, "The kind of pirates I became a Marine for. Kidnapped my boys and started a fire near the town past the jungle. The boys got caught up in it before Dadan found them, and Sabo..."

Garp sighs again, scrubbing his face almost violently, "Sabo tried to sail off to escape his parents and got spotted by a Celestial Dragon."

Yasopp jerks and Benn sucks in a sharp breath, clenching his own cigarette, and Shanks lets his eyes bear into Garp's. Because Shanks knows exactly how cruel and petulant the Celestial Dragons can be, and he knows that the sight of a child in their route would have angered them. Probably made them feel the boy was ruining their "essence" with his presence or something. And they most certainly wouldn't have let that slide.

"And?" He demands.

"They shot at him," Garp answers grimly, "Ace had dropped Dadan off before taking off to catch up with Dogra - one of Dadan's men. They saw Sabo get shot at, and Ace jumped in after him. Ace was a little burned, but nothing serious, nothing a little burn cream can't fix. It won't even scar. Sabo, though... he was in the direct line of fire. The left side of his body was burned pretty badly. It even got his eye. It's one of the reasons I contacted you when I did; they can't stay here, not now that they've made themselves enemies of the Nobles and most certainly not with the Marines after Ace."

"Damn Nobles," Yasopp mutters under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose before rubbing his eyes tiredly. The cruelty the world is capable of handing out to children astounds him sometimes, and his resolve to wait to see his son cracks even more.

Shanks sighs heavily through his nose before speaking, "And where are they?"

"Inside," Dadan answers, and when Shanks makes a move to enter, she immediately blocks him.

Shanks is actually quite impressed. This woman most certainly knows who he is, yet she glares down at him as menacingly as she can despite the fear his Haki can pick up on from her. She keeps eye contact with him as she speaks lowly, a small snarl curling at her lips, "I raised Ace from a baby, you know. And I may have only known Sabo and Luffy for a little under a year, but those boys are mine, you hear me? If anything happens to them, whether they get hurt or you say something stupid and upset 'em, I'll find out. And I won't ever forget or forgive. And I'll sure as hell find a way to get back at you, Mr. Powerful Emperor. Whether you're stronger than me or not."

"Understood," Shanks doesn't hesitate to reply, voice solemn so that this woman can understand just how much he's willing to do for Luffy, for those two boys (his Captain's son!) he hasn't even met yet. She stares him down a moment longer before cautiously stepping aside, allowing him to walk into the cabin.

There are several men mingling about, and they all freeze at the sight of him, staring at him cautiously, some even given him warning looks. A small man in a turban is the one to jab a finger down one of the halls, and he immediately follows the directions. He can hear Garp, Yasopp, and Benn following after him, but he pays them little mind as he walks the surprisingly long hallway. He begins hearing voices, young and muffled, the further down the hall he gets, and he stops by the door they are sounding from.

He opens it, and the occupants inside freeze before turning to face him. Luffy is the first one he notices; he looks a little bigger, a little taller than before, but he's still a little thing, his old strawhat too big for him and sliding down his head. The next one he notices he assumes to be Sabo; the blonde boy is sitting up on a small futon, gazing at him curiously. He's shirtless, bandages all over, and Shanks immediately zeros in on the medical eye-patch covering his left eye. Red, blistering skin just barely peaks out from the side of the patch, and Shanks can already tell that the burns are deep and severe, and he understands Dadan's doubts about the boy being able to properly see out of that eye ever gain.

And then he sees his Captain's boy.

Garp's description of Ace had been quite accurate. Shanks can see his Captain's intense silver gaze boring into him, a hint of curiosity, a hint of warning, and a hint of caution. He can see Miss Rouge's cinnamon colored freckles splattered across the boy's cheeks and nose; he even has that one large spot that took up a small bit of the right side of Miss Rouge's nose, close to her eye. His skin is paler than Roger's dark tan, but not as light as Miss Rouge's had been. He can see her curls, though a bit messier than hers had been, and her slight brows, but Roger's dark hair and his nose. He has Roger's strong jaw, but his appearance overall is far softer than his Captain's had ever been. He's a perfect mixture of Miss Rouge and Roger, leaning a bit more towards Miss Rouge, and Shanks can immediately understand why the Marines are so intent on connecting this boy with his Captain.

Because there's no way this boy is anything but Roger's son, not with those eyes.

The boy appears to notice his staring, though Shanks is just far too fascinated to be able bring himself to look away, and the child purses is lips in agitation. The spell suddenly broken, Luffy hops to his feet with a large grin and a bellow of Shanks' name, launching himself into the redhead's arm.

"Dahahaha!" Shanks laughs, though he takes note of Ace and Sabo's tensing the moment he touches Luffy, "How've you been, Anchor?"

"I have brothers now!" Luffy exclaims jubilantly, twisting around in Shanks' arm to look at the other two boys, "Guys, guys! This is Shanks! He's the one I told you about!"

The tension lessens in the older boys', but only somewhat. The two boys share a glance before looking up at Shanks. Ace remains stone-faced, but Sabo smiles somewhat.

"Ah, you're the one who stopped Luffy from drowning," Sabo states, voice polite and far too refined for a boy his age, and he lowers his head in what is meant to be a bow. He places a hand on Ace's back and pushes him down into a proper bow, though Ace appears rather reluctant to do so, and they speak at once, one monotone and the other happily polite, "Thank you for saving our brother."

Shanks can see Ace tensing back up again, and he realizes that the boy isn't the type to handle being in a submissive position very well. Sabo seems to know this, and immediately removes the hand that had been gently guiding Ace into a bow, allowing him to sit back up.

Sabo gives Ace an encouraging pat on the shoulder, speaking brightly, "Miss Makino's lessons are paying off; you're getting less stiff."

Ace only gives a small grunt in acknowledgment before turning his attention back to Luffy and Shanks, "So, what are you doing here?"

Ace glances behind Shanks, blinking at the sight of Garp. Garp, now that he's been noticed, steps into the room that's quickly becoming crowded. Luffy finally seems to notice and tenses up in Shanks' arm, staring at Garp wide-eyed, pointing a finger that looks somewhat accusing, "AH! IT'S GRAMPS!"

"DON'T BELLOW OUT LIKE YOU'RE SCARED OF ME YOU UNGRATEFUL GRANDSON!" Garp shouts back before sighing through his nose. He lets himself fall onto his rear heavily, drawing his legs up to cross them, and he turns his attention to Ace and Sabo.

"Red-Haired is here because I asked him to come here," He states, voice sober, something that quickly catches the older boys' attentions.

"But, you hate pirates," Ace narrows his eyes.

"Yes," Garp answers, "But I'm willing to work with them if it means keeping my grandsons safe."

Ace and Sabo blink, and Luffy gives Garp a questioning look. Shanks can see, though, a spark of understanding in Ace's eyes and it makes him queasy for reasons he can't quite understand.

"You boys need to pack up everything you want to take with you," Garp states, "You're going to be staying with Red-Haired on his ship from now on."

"We're gonna stay with Shanks!?" Luffy exclaims, voice containing traces of both excitement and confusion.

"That's right!" Garp states, "So go pack!"

"Gramps," Ace's voice is quiet, and it catches everyone's attention. He doesn't look scared, not at all. Resigned is more like it, "Are they coming after me?"

Shanks sucks in a sharp breath through his nose. Because his Captain's son knows all about his heritage, it seems, and he knows that the world would rather see him dead solely because of who his father is. And that is not okay. Because he's a child and no child should ever have such a burden placed on their too-small shoulders. He shoots Garp a look, wanting to know why the hell the man thought it would be okay to tell the boy his heritage when he was young enough to be affected by it and not wait until he was old enough to not care, but Garp ignores him.

The man places a hand that dwarfs the boy's back onto his shoulders and states solemnly, "This is not your fault, Ace. It's everything that's happened this past year. Your father, Luffy's father, Sabo's parents, the Bluejam Pirates, the Celestial Dragons... it's all adding up to be too much, and so I'm sending you to Shanks because I know you'll be safer with him, and I'd rather you be a pirate than dead. You'll thrive with him, as a pirate, I'm sure of it."

Shanks watches as Ace's brows furrow, eyes searching as he stares up at the man he calls a grandfather before nodding slowly, understanding passing through his eyes. Shanks wonders if this is the first time Garp gave the boy permission, however indirectly, to become a pirate; by the wide-eyed looks Sabo and Luffy are shooting the man, he can only assume yes.

Luffy suddenly blinks, one of Garp's comments finally catching up with him, "My father? I have a father?"

Garp sighs, giving Luffy a flat look, "Yes. My idiot son's just as much trouble as you, so people don't like him any more than they like Ace's father."

Shanks sees Ace purse his lips, looking rather indignant on Luffy's behalf, "So, Luffy's dad's alive, but he just left him behind?"

"Well-" Garp tries, only to get cut off.

"Ace has a point," Sabo says, "There's really no excuse to leave your child behind. Unless you're dead, in which case, that's plenty of an excuse."

Shanks shoots Yasopp a raised brow, grin slowly forming, and the man purses his lips and shoots him a glare in response.

Garp snots irritably, "Just go pack, brats."

Shanks watches in concern as Sabo struggles to his feet. Ace helps him, but the boy can only do so much when he's completely avoiding one side of Sabo's body. The two immediately scamper out of the room - Luffy following - the second Sabo is steady, but Shanks wonders if the boy will need help carrying his things.

"Where are they going?" Yasopp asks.

"Treehouse," Garp states, swiftly hopping to his feet, "That's where they keep all their things. The fire nearly got it, but Dadan and the others put it out in time. That's their safe haven, you know; they built it all by themselves. Well, Sabo and Ace did, anyway. Dadan wasn't gonna let it burn."

"I see..." Shanks mutters, "Will Sabo need help?"

"Doubt he'd let you help even if he needed it," Shanks turns his attention to Dadan as she steps next to the door, arms crossed in a more casual manner than before, looking far calmer, "Boy's got just as much stubborn pride as Ace, even if he won't admit it. Besides, he's been doing fine so far. He has some trouble standing and climbing the ladder to the treehouse, but nothing else seems to bother him so long as he avoids his left side."

Shanks hums in acknowledgment - but adds a mental note to have his crew's doctor give the boy a checkup - before he, Yasopp, Benn, and Garp follow her outside. It doesn't take long for the boys to pack, only one bag for each of them, and Shanks frowns when he realizes he's probably going to have to dock somewhere else in the East Blue to go stock up on things the boys will need. He's already set up one of the spare cabins on the ship for the boys to sleep in, but he still needs proper linens for the hammocks, dressers, things to personalize the room with, proper beds seeing as hammocks tend to only be used for rougher weather... he sighs. He probably should've prepared better.

He, Benn, and Yasopp raise their brows at the pipes strapped to their backs, but refrain from making any comments. He'll ask when they're comfortably at sea.

After a rather unusual, yet somehow heartwarming goodbye with Dadan - which involves calling the woman a hag and her crying and yelling at people not to look at her, the begin their trek back down the mountain.

The boys follow them through the jungle with an ease that puts even Garp to shame, and Shanks grins at the cheeky movements they make, hopping past curious oversized crocs in a way that makes Yasopp visibly tense and Benn grin in silent amusement. It doesn't take long for them to reach the village, and the boys look around curiously when they realize no one is there, that the village looks rather deserted. Shanks can't help but chuckle, though, when their gaze immediately zeros in on the Red Force, eyes wide in childish curiosity.

"It's different from your last ship," Luffy states.

"Aye," Shanks says, "Our last ship was getting worn out, so we had to replace it before it got to the point that it would sink. I like this ship, though. Material's much more sturdy than our last one. We even got a figurehead this time!"

Garp snorts, shooting him a look that Shanks merely grins at. They both know how illegal Adam's Wood has become, something ignited by Roger's death with the realization that the Oro Jackson had nearly been indestructible. Garp doesn't comment, though, letting Shanks continue to lead the boys toward the ship.

They stop, though, when Miss Makino steps out of the bar, a small satchel in hand. She smiles at them when Luffy bellows out a greeting, stopping and kneeling down before the boys.

"Now, I wasn't going to let you leave without a goodbye," She says before turning her attention to Ace. She gives him a kind smile before handing him the little brown satchel. Shanks can hear something click inside with the movement, like two thick pieces of glass connecting. He watches curiously as Ace's eyes widen in understanding when he hears the noise before he flushes brightly, the freckles on his cheeks darkening from the color change, and he slowly takes the bag from her. Sabo smiles in both a knowing and patient manner, giving Ace an encouraging prod that causes the boy's flush to lessen somewhat.

"The picture you wanted me to keep safe is in there, too," Makino continues, "I framed it for you."

"Ah," Ace stutters, "Th-thank you..."

Her smiles widens before she suddenly leans forward, capturing all three in a tight hug. Luffy happily returns it, but the older boys appear to hesitate for a brief moment before doing the same.

"My boys," Makino murmurs, "I'm going to miss you!"

"Us too, Macchan!" Luffy exclaims, grinning wide as she lets them go.

She gives them one more smile before turning her attention to Shanks. She walks up to him, discreetly pulling a slip of paper from beneath her kerchief and handing it to him.

"This is a list," She murmurs quietly, allowing no one to hear her but him, "For things Ace will need. But, you're not allowed to look at it until Ace is comfortable with you knowing. 'Kay?"

He blinks, glancing at the folded slip before returning his gaze to her with a raised brow, "And... how will I know he's comfortable...?"

"Trust me," She smiles, "You'll know."

They both turn their attention to the boys at the sound of commotion, watching as Garp appears to become emotional for the first time in their presence.

"So... we're leaving forever then...?" Sabo asks hesitantly, and Garp gives a grim nod.

Ace appears contemplative for a moment. Shanks watches as a realm of emotions pass over his face, from hesitant to thoughtful to somewhat angry and reluctant to resigned, and finally the boy purses his lips and takes a step forward. Ace avoids Garp's eyes completely, but he gives the man a hug as best as he can, wrapping his arms around the large man's legs.

"I guess..." He seems to grind out, "Even though you're a shitty gramps, I'll miss you."

Sabo and Luffy suddenly grin wide, and Shanks can't help give a small grin at the sight of the blonde child's missing tooth, and the two boys jump forward and wrap their own arms around Garp.

"You're scary, but you're still really nice," Sabo states, "I'll miss you too."

"I don't like your Fist of Love! It hurts and it's stupid, but you're still my gramps, kay?" Luffy says, "And I'll miss you!"

Garp stares at them for a moment, eyes wide in complete disbelief before they seem to water. If Shanks didn't know any better, he'd say that there were sparkles flying around Garp's eyes, and he wonders if the man had a hard time of getting affection from the boys. The man's eyes appear to water, and when Ace looks up at him, the boy gives a smirk that's somewhat mean, somewhat teasing.

"Are you crying?" The boy gloats.

Garp suddenly snaps out of it, and in one quick movement, lands a punch on the top of each child's head. Shanks, Yasopp, and Benn stare, some more shocked than others, but Miss Makino merely smiles indulgently, and Shanks is suddenly very happy he's taking these kids with him, especially when the fight begins.

"I'M NOT CRYING!" Garp bellows, blatantly ignoring the large trail of tears streaming down his face.

Ace holds the rather large bump forming on his head, shooting Garp a glare, "But you are! YOU CRYBABY!"

"WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"SO WHAT, NOW YOU'RE A CRYBABY AND YOU'RE DEAF!?"

"YOU DAMN BRAT! WHO TAUGHT YOU TO SPEAK TO YOUR ELDERS LIKE THAT!?"

"YOU DID, YOU IDIOT! YOU'RE ALWAYS SPEAKING TO PEOPLE LIKE THAT!"

"BECAUSE I'M OLD, DAMMIT! I'M ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY SNOT-NOSED BRATS!"

The three Red-Haired Pirates continue to stare as the argument gets more and more heated, yet never delves into any form of maliciousness. Shanks glances toward his ship and he smirks in amusement when he sees a few loitering crewmembers staring at the spectacle that is the D Family. Sabo and Luffy seem to find it entertaining, snickering to each other and trying to hide it from the bellowing duo in front of them.

Miss Makino laughs brightly at the sight, and Shanks spares her a glance, "This normal?"

"It's their own form of affection," Makino answers, "Ace and Mr. Garp aren't exactly good with feelings."

"Ah," Shanks mumbles, brows furrowed a little. So, if he gets yelled at by the kid, does that mean he likes him...? Shanks isn't quite sure how he's going to bond with his Captain's son if that's the case; he's not used to people who are unable to express themselves properly. Even Benn, for all his stoicism, has no problems with showing how he feels. Shanks is certain any form of affection Ace may show him in the future will confuse the absolute hell out of him.

Benn suddenly sighs heavily, exasperation clear on his features, and he interrupts the arguing duo, "All right, all right. If we're all ready, then we need to go. Getting back to the New World will take some time, and we can't afford to be gone for too long. We can't leave our territories unprotected."

"Territories?" Sabo blinks curiously.

"We'll tell you on the sea," Benn says pointedly, and he begins his trek up the ship's ramp.

The boys watch Benn's movements for a moment before sharing a glance. All at once, they give Garp and Makino one last hug before scurrying after him. Shanks watches them as best as he can from his vantage point, and they look all around the ship in open curiosity. Yasopp sighs indulgently before following Benn's lead, making his way up the ramp. He seems to keep the boys entertained while they wait for Shanks' orders, pointing out different spots on the ship as he speaks to them, the boys giving him their complete attention (though, Shanks notices that Luffy's wanes more often than not).

"Red-Haired," Shanks turns his attention to Garp, narrowing his eyes at the sight of Garp's grim features.

"I need you to teach those boys Haki, and it's best if you don't wait," Garp very nearly demands.

"They're a bit young for that, don't you think?" Shanks states idly, though there is a dark undertone that he's sure Garp wouldn't miss. Because Haki is difficult to learn, and the power itself is intense for those who aren't used to it, and children shouldn't have to concern themselves with such a thing.

"You may think it dangerous for them to learn, but it's more dangerous if they don't," Garp comments before he releases a tired sigh, "Ace... the business with the fire caused him to awaken Conqueror's Haki."

Shanks eyes widen, completely caught off guard. Because that boy is a child, and while it's heard of for people to be born with Haki, such stories usually only apply to Observation Haki. For a child as young as Ace to awaken something as powerful as Conqueror's Haki...

He snorts, "He truly is Roger and Miss Rouge's, isn't he?"

Garp snorts back, "Yes, though he may not like to hear that."

Garp gives him one last stern look, "You take care of my boys, you understand me?"

"Aye," Shanks agrees easily, a grin lighting up his features. He takes his time saying goodbye to Makino, cupping her cheek in one hand and giving her a slow kiss, both ignoring Garp's grumbling in the background. She smiles as he turns away, not a hint of sadness in her features that he's leaving again, and he makes his way onto his ship, his crew pulling up the ramp after him.

"RAISE ANCHOR! IT'S TIME TO LEAVE!"

What's in the bag Makino gave to Ace will be shown in the next chapter, but don't expect anything spectacular. It's not really anything major, just something I decided to experiment with because of my brother and a super pretty fanart that I saw. If it gets good reception, I may explore it a bit more, but it's mostly a background thing that I decided to add in for my own self-interests (and the fanart).

To describe the fanart (because I can't find it again, and I'm sick of looking for it), it was of Ace, Roger, and Rouge in a white background. Roger, of course, is grinning wide like always; he's looking at his bare feet, toes painted red, and laughing; his pant legs are rolled up, showing off some very obvious leg hair and some splotches of shaving cream, and there is a line that has been shaven on his right leg. Rouge is smiling calmly while she watches Ace; her hair is pulled back into a towel and her toenails are painted red with some foam between each toe. Ace is staring at his feet in concentration, tongue poking out; his toes are colored red, though he's still holding the brush and finishing the work off; there's white splotches in his hair, which I can only assume is some type of conditioning. The trio are surrounded by shampoos, conditioners, other haircare products, skincare products, nail products, shaving cream, and other miscellaneous beauty items. It's just a really cute picture that seems to be of Roger and Ace attempting to spend time with Rouge by mimicking what she does, and her indulging them. I kind of wanted Ace to emulate it a little, so... yup.