It wasn't exactly the most comforting thing to hear, all the screaming, scuffling, guns and cannons going off. To be honest it scares me. I'm not sure I could stand it if anything happened to the men and few women on board, pirates or marines, after all a life is a life.

Rubbing my hands together nervously I listen for any indication that the fight was almost over, that everything would be done. That the pirates, albeit violent, could get away safely. The casualties kept to a minimum, that we can just keep sailing around safely. Despite what dad says I'm not so sure pirates are all bad. After all wasn't it pirates that saved me all those years ago?

...

"Mommy do you see that?" A little girl with cobalt hair asks her mother gesturing nervously to the shore. People were running and screaming, the town was on fire, in the distance gun shots could be heard.

"Sweetie get down." The mother says gently pressing the young girl to the floor of the small boat they were on. "No matter what don't get up. Stay hidden alright Rosie, do you understand?"

Looking up at her mother the girl nods her head nervously, the hair she's inherited from her mother waving in the wind. Quietly the girl stares at the sides of the small boat, "Mommy, aren't you going to get down too?" She asks quietly. Upon looking up she sees what no child should bear to see.

Rosie felt like time had stopped, like everything she was seeing was just a terrible nightmare and any moment she'd wake up, but it wasn't. None of it was disappearing, it was all too real. The scene before her was happening and the little five-year old couldn't do anything to stop it.

With eyes widening in shock at the scarlet color soaking her mother's white shirt and light blue shorts, her mother's face grimacing through the pain she manages five words to the small shaking girl. "Stay down. I love you." The young woman falls out of the boat into the depths of the ocean.

Fighting back a sob the young girl intends to listen to her mother, after all she'd come back up right? As the boat carried the young girl further and further out to sea Rosie began to worry. Her mother hadn't come back up liked she'd hoped and she was getting hot. But the terribly noises had stopped; she didn't hear the gun shots, yells or agony that had echoed out to her hours before. Falling asleep the girl clings to the one item she had left of her mother, the pale pink bracelet adorned with white gold roses.

Falling asleep the girl hadn't noticed the ship coming closer to her, nor the pirate flag whipping in the wind.

Upon waking up she's met by a man looking down at her full of worry, a man with red hair. "Are you alright girlie?" He asks his voice laced with concerned.

Lips trembling she shakes her head feebly, "Mommy is gone, she didn't come back up." She mumbles tears falling. "Daddy isn't here…" She continues to say trying to hold back the sobs.

Watching her the man rubs the top of her head. "It's alright, we'll take you home." He promises the little girl with cobalt hair with eyes to match. "Your hair is very pretty."

Sniffling she tries to smile up at the kind man. "My mommy's hair…" Looking back down at the bracelet around her wrist she looks back up.

Understanding the implication of the three words "Come on let's get you something to eat, you must be famished, and then you can listen to the crew sing." He says jollily. "What's your name?" He asks leaning down so he'd be eye level with the small girl.

"Dove Rose." She mumbles out her name taking the man's hand being offered to her. "Are you really going to take me back home?"

"Rose, I promise you we'll get you back home safe and sound."

...

My mom had died that day protecting me, the island had been attacked by pirates, and dad had been away on a mission. The man that saved me turned out to be Red-Haired Shanks. I stayed on that ship with his crew for three short weeks and in the time there Shanks made a rather lasting impression on my five-year old self. Not all pirates were bad; some were in fact very kind and fond of having a lot of fun.

"Miss Dove are you alright?" The Marines guarding my room asks through the door. "Miss?"

"I'm alright, but what about everyone else?" I ask full of concern. "Is the crew alright? Any injuries?" I ask.

"We're all alright, but Miss another pirate ship seems to be coming, you'll need to be quiet alright?" The same Marine replies back in a hushed tone. "We want you to be safe."

With a few last words I smile kindly at the door. "I want you all to be safe too." It may be naive to want everyone to get away safely, to hope for the best, but shouldn't someone be like that? Optimistic that in the end things will turn our right.

Resting on my bed I listen as the fighting only seems to have intensified, more feet stomping above me. Nervously I twist my mother's bracelet around my wrist, getting up from my bed I pull a pale pink ribbon out to tie my hair back, upon getting up a figure comes crashing through the ceiling landing on my bed. Shocked I stare at the purple jacket and blue sash, recognizing him I shove him off my bed quickly pressing my fingers to my lips he stares at me with a perplexed expression donning his face.

"Miss are you alright?" Michael and Jon, the two Marines guarding me ask busting into the room looking around wildly. "Miss Dove?"

Nodding my head my hand flies to my rapidly beating heart. "I'm quite alright, just a scare." I tell them motioning to the boards that would have crushed me if I hadn't moved.

Nodding they look around before nodding to each other. "Miss you should hide in the bathroom for now." Michael says glancing back at the door.

Nodding my head I walk into the bathroom clicking the lock before waiting until I hear the other door close. Upon opening it I'm met by pale blue eyes. "You saved me the trouble of getting in a fight." The man mumbles looking down at me full of interest. Opening the door wider I allow the blonde man into the bathroom. "You seem awfully calm."

"You aren't attacking me." I tell him simply. "Should I be hysterical?" I ask him curious about the pirate in front of me, not just a pirate but a Whitebeard Pirate, the first division commander Marco the Phoenix none-the-less.

"No, but it seems you know who I am Miss Dove, was it?" Nodding my head his eyes narrow. "Dove like the Read-Admiral Dove?" He asks me stepping closer. "I didn't think he'd have such young tastes."

"Or a daughter?" I counter slightly repulsed by what he'd thought. Marco looks at me surprised once again.

Before either of us can say or do anything more the door bursts open revealing four scruffy men, all leering at Marco or rather at me with a look I rather not have directed at me or anyone for that matter.

"Looks like we found her" the leader of the group murmurs stepping closer to me, but just as quickly as they'd entered Marco was between me and them. "Another guard? The Marines at the other door are dead, are you any better?" He muses.

Blinking I keep my eyes trained on the purple jacket, Michael and Jon. Closing my eyes I push the thoughts I'd had moments before away, I do indeed want some harm to come to these pirates. "Girlie we're going to need to get out of here." Marco says hands resting on my shoulders. "Girlie." He says harsher this time.

Peeking my eyes open I see the blood on the ground, quickly looking up at Marco's eyes instead. "What?" I ask confused. "Go where? There isn't a safe place on the ship." I tell him quietly, this room was supposed to be safe, but obviously not.

"Just hold on." He says putting my arms around him. "Don't let go." He commands. Locking my arms around his neck I bury my head in his neck, frightened of what will happen. Of what will become of the other good people on the ship. Feeling my body hanging I peek over Marco's shoulder, the expanse of my dad's ship under us, quickly locking my legs around his waist I hold on to him even tighter.

Looking over his shoulder I catch a glimpse of men pointing up at us in our direction. One I would recognize anywhere...my father.

"Your old man seems to think I'm kidnapping you." Marco muses lightly. "Oi, are you alright?" He asks me suddenly. Simply nodding my head I clamp my eyes shut. "We're almost to the ship." Marco says moments later.

"Marco what's with the blue?" I hear a voice ask, Marco's hands gently pull my legs off his waist, meeting the ground my arms unwind. "You picked up a girl?" The same voice asks as I turn to face him.

"Rose helped me out; I'm simply returning the favor." He says shrugging his shoulders. "Besides I think we know what they were after now."

"The girl? Why would the War Hogs want her?" the man continues to question him as Marco tugs me to follow him.

"Is Pops in his room?" Marco asks ignoring the question or perhaps shrugging it off. Besides why would a pirate crew be after me? It's not like I've done anything nor has my dad run into them before. Getting a head nod I'm lead through the ship with the another following.

In a room I'm met by the gaze of the strongest man in the world, the person said to have the power to destroy the world, Whitebeard himself. "Marco?" His voice booms.

"Pops meet Dove Rose." Marco says an impassive look on his face, the same expression he'd be staring at me with in the bathroom and when I'd hidden him. "Daughter to Vice-Admiral Dove, and what they'd been looking for, I ran into their captain's first mate after Miss Dove kindly hid me."

An amused expression crosses Whitebeard's face. "Girlie you hid Marco?" He asks laughing.

Nodding my head I shrug my shoulders. "I don't particularly think of you or any of your crew as terrible people or pirates." I tell them quietly.

"Though Vice-Admiral Dove believes I kidnapped her." Marco interjects with a slight yawn passing between a few words. "Though it seems this is what or rather who War Hogs are after, Pops."

Whitebeard studies me carefully it seems as I look around unsure what to say. Why would a pirate crew be after me? Besides the fact of who my father is. "Seems like they know then." Whitebeard muses. "We should keep a close eye on her."

Gulping I glance at Marco to Whitebeard, neither expressing anything to help me fill in the blanks that are obviously there. "Excuse me," I speak up, both pairs of eyes landing on me. "What exactly is it that the pirate crew knows?" I ask them curiously.

I'm not given an answer well, rather there wasn't time. All I know is that we're getting fired at, mostly likely by my dad. "That'd be the Vice-Admiral himself." Marco says chuckling.

"Take Rose here somewhere safe." Whitebeard commands standing up. Towering over us I bite my lip nervously as I'm lead even deeper into their flag-ship.