One Piece! Fan Fiction!

Drama! Family! Romance!

(Title)

"The Shipwright's Guide to: Raising Children"

DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'One Piece' or any of the characters!

WARNING! RATED M! For harsh language.

8 Years Earlier

Stepping off of the one-passenger boat and giving the blue-spotted Bull she rented an appreciative pat and leaving, Minato finally took in the sight of Water 7's renowned Sea Train Station. Slowly making her way across the pristine stone floor, she noted with approval that the one-of-a-kind Blue Station was much better maintained than the rest of the island. Though it was much cleaner than most, she had only one thought that just about surmised her feelings since arriving on this sinking island:

It wasn't much to look at.

She caught onto that pessimistic thought and reminded herself—not for the first time that day—to cut the residents of Water 7 some slack. It was only with the recent addition of the quickly growing infamous Sea Train that regular trade to the city had been reestablished. They were still trying to find their footing after so many years of barely managing to scrape by.

Still, she couldn't deny that after the last hour she had spent sight-seeing through the canals that interweaved the city's tiered levels she had been left feeling greatly underwhelmed by what she'd seen. She would concede that the architecture was unlike any other place she had been to before so she'd give them that, but due to years of slow flooding and neglect, the city was surely not even a shadow of what it should've been. Not to mention the distaste she had when she witnessed the collected debris of hundreds of wrecked or scrapped ships and waste that the residents have oh-so fondly referred to as 'Scrap Island'.

A shame, she thought, There's real potential here if only it had the right leadership to bring it about.

Yes, so far she had not been won over by Water 7. Even now she was rethinking her decision to come here in the first place. If it hadn't been for her Aunt's letter then she probably would've found some quiet little island by a Navy base and made her living as a mechanic or something. But, Minato had promised to give this place a fair shake so that is what she intended on doing. The next, and last, thing she had to check off before making a final decision about Water 7 lied solely on the impression of one man.

She had found that man crouched in front of the iron deathtrap renowned as the Puffing Tom, the train that can travel over the sea. He had a oil-stained bandana tied over shaggy blue hair that reached his shoulders and looked like it had never met the business end of a comb, the beginnings of some stubble growing along his jaw. A plain sleeveless shirt that exposed the tattoos on his shoulders that were a few shades lighter than his hair, and jeans that were also stained with grease and other dark substances that covered his hands. Not noticing how her gaze was on him, he casually lifted a hand and scratched his nose, smearing half his face with the black grease in the process.

Minato was disciplined enough not to make a face. Still... This was the man her Aunt had recommended as a potential employer?

She also did not sigh, being too well trained.

"You Iceburg?" she called out, voice sharp like the crack of a whip. It had been so sudden in fact that the man had smacked his head on the underside of the steps he'd been repairing. With a muttered curse about 'a damned frog' he pulled himself out from under the Puffing Tom to look up at the shadowed figure towering over him on the terminal's platform.

Tall, maybe as tall as him. Blue-gray hair cropped at her neck, a tidy and proper-looking. Her eyes though, they were a pitch black and so large that one could hardly see the whites of them. A pale face set into an expression of utter deadpan and looking like she had never laughed a day in her life before. She wore thick leather gloves and though the white duster she wore did well to conceal her figure for the most part, once he noticed it, Iceburg had not been able to stop staring at her very swollen stomach with what he felt like was an appropriate fear at the prospect that the woman would be giving birth in the middle of Blue Station at any moment.

Minato realized this.

"Are you Iceburg of Tom's Workers?" she clarified, not allowing annoyance to seep into her tone. Give him a chance, she patiently reminded herself.

Hearing his former mentor's name had snapped him out of his gawking. He straightened up and attempted to wipe the dark residue on his hands off onto his shirt unsuccessfully. He really only managed to stain more of his shirt.

"Y-Yes!" he cleared his throat, composing himself as well as he could standing up to his knees in water. "That's me."

"I'm here for the job interview. Kokoro should've mentioned me."

Again, Iceburg was reduced to staring. She reminded herself patience and Minato dryly thought she might become a saint at this rate.

"You're Minato-san?" he asked incredulously.

Yes, this was going so well already... she thought. She should just turn tail and take up that instructor's job she'd been offered. Again, Minato tampered down her pessimism and took a deep breath and looked Iceburg squarely in his eye.

"Look, it's not my way to beat around the bush so I'll just be frank with you, Iceburg-san." she began, her scrutinizing black orbs pinning him down. The two feet of clearance she had standing on the platform made her seem even taller and more imposing. "Honestly? You look an unreliable lout that will crumble under the first amount of real pressure applied. But Kokoro vouches for your character, so I'll be willing to give this a chance if you are."

"I... appreciate your candor." he said diplomatically. He then pulled himself up to the platform to stand on equal ground as her, slightly unnerved to note that she actually was as tall as himself. That was unusual. "So, tell me more about yourself? I'd like to know more about the kind of man that would work under me. Er, woman."

"I'm a Marine." she started off bluntly, voice as cool as a winter chill. She watched his expression carefully. "Is that going to be a problem with you?"

His brow furrowed slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you mean former Marine?"

"Nope."

He stared at her a moment, evaluating her.

"I should tell you now then that I plan on taking commissions from both the Navy and any Pirates that can pay." he informed her flatly. Now it was his turn to watch her expression. "I need to know if your beliefs are going to conflict with that."

The soon-to-be-mother had finally showed another emotion besides 'civilly disinterested' and that was one of open annoyance.

"My 'belief' is that respect and trust should be earned. I respect and trust the man that made me into a Marine, but my lack of trust in Navy establishment is what brought me to Water 7." she explained, lips dipping into a scowl. "Put into simpler terms: I don't give a damn what kind of flag they fly. If they are stupid enough to try and screw with me then they'll be regretting it."

If he felt any sort of reassurance or trepidation with her answer, he didn't show it. Instead, what he had said next had made the final impression on Minato.

"It is also my ambition to unite all the shipyards on the island together so that we can organize our resources instead of squabbling over them and save this place to begin building the future that my mentor envisioned."

For the first time since meeting Iceburg of Water 7 Minato had seen a glimpse of intelligence shine in his dull gaze. Of an emotion she recognized as steely determination. Her lips flattened into a this line and she stared at him, maybe a bit more considering than a moment before. One corner of his lips threatened to twitch up into a smile, seeing the slight attitude change in the stern-faced woman.

"So... you wanna help?" he offered.

Minato narrowed her eyes at the grubby, underwhelming man.

She hoped she won't regret this.

"Sure. Where do we start?" she sighed.

Before he had a chance to answer, Minato's brow suddenly pinched together as she placed her hand over her stomach and Iceburg was struck with the very rational and reasonble fear of spontaneous childbirth again.

"Wait, first, where's the bathroom? There are two brats sitting their asses on my bladder and I really need to piss."

And thus began Minato's first day as the Galley-La Company's very first employee.

The Shipwright's Guide to: Raising Children

TO BE CONTINUED

A/N: And there we go. A proper set-up! I'd love to hear what you guys think of Minato!

I love you all! Until next time~!

-Nanami