note: This drabble contains my headcanon of Roci's relationship with other marines (Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, even Saul). Story's inspired right after chapter 793 was out and I wrote it on my roleplay blog. But yeah, I just publish it on FFN today. The story is full of my headcanon, wish it could be 85% correct with the canon ha'ha, who knows.
"What is it, Tsuru-chan?" Sengoku asks while eating his favorite snack, okaki. His mouth is full so you can hear how crisp it is bitten. "There was no need for you to come all the way out there."
They are in the battleship set sail right after the downfall of Donquixote Doflamingo becoming a headline everywhere. So implied by what Sengoku said, just let Isshou handle it 'til everthing's done. Why do they both must go and be heading there too?
"I should be the one saying that, Inspector," Tsuru replies.
"Well, you have been chasing this particular pirate crew for quite some time…" he keeps snacking.
Alright… for 16 years, huh? And she had to stop hunt Doflamingo after he got some privileges from Gorosei. So unfortunately, marine and him must be cooperative.
She cuts in, "…on your order!"
"Want some okaki?" he directly diverts their subject of talking–the fact that's him who kept instructing her to chase Donquixote Pirate for so long. And he did it as the chat could be turned quite sensitive because …
—flashback, 13 years ago—
"Rocinante!" Garp came in roughly and yelled as he saw tall body covered by marine flag with some blood patches on it. He then turned to Sengoku who walked behind him. "How dare you didn't tell me that Rocinante infiltrates Donquixote's crew?!"
The Fleet Admiral remained calm. "I did it because we maintain there's no contact between him and any marine–you or Tsuru–or they'd have suspected him since early."
"Can guess it…" Tsuru said softly still bowing his head directly to the dead body but after seconds paused, she looked at Sengoku. "But look what happened! Do you know how I feel when I found his body laying breathless and frozen there? If I knew it from the start, I could spare tactics with his brilliance. If I knew it…"
She recalled the time when she's called by the marine station in the Minion Island to ask what happened 'cause they see the battle between her notified battleship and a pink pirate ship. They also reported the island condition to her and wanted her as nearest Vice-Admiral seen around from the base to help them cleaning it up as so many people found died.
That's when she eventually noticed him buried under the snow.
Of course she tried to wake him up and call paramedics. There's so many bullet holes on his body. And how long had he been buried? She's afraid to ascertain the worst scenario in her mind. But they told her that the man beside her had died for 3 hours.
3 hours…
3 hours ago while she was busy to bombard the flamingo ship and no one knew that one of their commander was dying in a cold and loneliness.
"….I COULD SAVE HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE." she cried out. Ton of escaped pirates still could be chased later next time, but one dead life couldn't return forever.
"Tsuru-chan, I know it's a big loss for us." Sengoku spoke, fists were clenched on his sides. "But it's what he wanted."
"What are you just saying?" Garp rolled his eyes sharply, dislike the way Sengoku still calm. "Rocinante is our family, Sengoku. He's like your own son!"
"That day…"Sengoku closed his eyes, memory was pulled back to the day he saw Roci for the last time.
"You want me to order Tsuru pursuing Doflamingo?"
Roci nodded."I know my brother's devil fruit, he ate it when we were kid. His ability to manipulate string maybe useless to Tsuru-san's laundry power.Also, her devil fruit could clean limited amount of evil, I still have faith to save my brother–he's a monster. He killed our father. So, if he finally found out who exactly I really am, despite of our family blood, there's no doubt he'd kill me too. But I've prepared myself to face it. "
Sengoku still held his assignment letter, hesitated to put it in his drawer. "You don't have to do that, Roci. You aren't Chiper Pol, Marine's job ain't like this. We've never sent out a single officer to do this certain dangerous mission…. alone! Think it twice!"
"That's my personal duty as his younger brother….. to stop his madness." Roci bow his body. "I beg you please, Sengoku-san."
The fleet Admiral sighed. "It'd be difficult to explain where you've been to Garp but I'll cover you. Just be careful and come back safe!"
He could see the happy expression in Roci's face. Somehow, he's still like a childish boy due to his babyface. The commander then saluted. "ROGER!"
But as he turned to exit, the blond just tripped away while passing the door.
Sengoku did sweat-drop. "You've already made me worry."
"Do you know my feeling that I KNOW I ASSIGNED HIM TO DEAD MISSION?" back to present time, as he finished to tell the story behind it now Sengoku shouted.
"Sengoku…" Garp lowered his tone as he noticed blood from his friend's clench.
Tsuru brokedown, she knelt to rub Roci's hair as it emerged under the flag. "Rocinante…. my boy. My stupid boy."
No one could hold back their tears in that room.
—end of flashback—
Tsuru takes okaki as Sengoku offered. The snack is not that bad. She also orders tea from her subordinate. "It's been so long since you brought Rocinante to headquarter," she started after long paused. "He was so tiny back then. And so much crybaby."
The ex-fleet admiral gobbles the last piece from the pack, smiles a bit. The name of the fall commander had never been mentioned since the day Doflamingo was declared to be one of Seven Warlords. He remained untouched and it's like he mocked them in every time they meet, whispering MC 01746 in Sengoku's ears as they passed each other at the first time and laughed out loud behind. If Garp didn't hold Sengoku tight, he'd have turned to Buddha and killed the heavenly demon before the bastard pink bird even get outside Mariejois. And that's what he did as return when Garp tried to kill Sakazuki in Marine Ford for taking his family's life.
Family… it ain't measured by blood.
"And it made him get too much attention by Garp,"Sengoku feels so relief now to remember the clumsy boy. "He loves to punch and throw kid out to jungle to be brave and strong, I told him countless times Roci ain't his son t' be treated the same."
The old woman laughs to recall how Garp carried the poor kid like a potato sack. But no one doubt Garp's training method and look how the kid had grown up, they're proud of him. "It isn't the thing he's afraid of Garp at the first time though."
"The D in his name. Also Saul's." Yeah, this Celestial Dragon's tale, the kid said and Rocinante's surname directed to the mentioned noble.
"Saul slowly made him could laugh. But it's so weird when Rocinante imitated his laughter. We're glad he didn't laugh like that anymore." They mentions other fallen comrade. Truth be told, there are actually so many lost.
"And we stroked our chest the most when the kid entered adolescence, you shouldn't have to bring him to your troops. See the result!" Sengoku remembers when he had been called Roci to his room, how shocked he was when the geeky teenager entered with uniforms ragged and neck and a face full of red marks. The blond said he was chased by Tsuru's crews then tripped, making a perfect landing to be bombarded by their passionate (or malignant?) kiss and pinch.
"He just insisted on helping, the boy was too kind." At that time, there was the need to be transported to her warships. Tsuru didn't take into account of the appeal of Rocinante, his face is still cute at the age of 15 years so it was making crazy the whole of her squad who were all women. It was them who cried the loudest when delivering Rocinante's body to headquarters. But isn't it what she is proud of? His kindness didn't distinguish anyone anywhere. Once when he was deployed to conflict zones, he carried his colleague who's shot up to the nearest post where is actually far, even though he himself was hurt even worse! Looks like that's exactly what happens in Minion, that he was saving someone and ignored the wound itself. His childhood experience with full of physical abuse actually made him immune to feel the pain. "At least not as bad as he almost blew up the arsenal. You lack rebuked him for smoking! And feeding your goats in a full month wasn't a punishment!"
Sengoku chuckled, how could the child was always burning the coat he wore when smoking? He got tired of giving new. Nevertheless, behind indiscretions, Rocinante was so reliable. His ability which reading situation and doing the action in precarious one, disappearing with agile, moving in darkness, firing bullets that do not dissipate them, and going straight to the enemy's defense were the main reason he could get a promotion … not because he was merely as Sengoku;s golden boy. That is why he believes Rocinante could infiltrate at his best in his brother's pirate crew … even though half of his heart didn't actually permit it.
Tea is coming but Sengoku immediately slurps it, forget how hot it is and then he spills it out to table. Heck, it's so unusual, does Sengoku forget it because they're talking about Rocinante? It ain't the first time, though.
"Trafalgar Law…. Ope Ope no Mi…" Sengoku takes the newspaper on the table wet by his tea, commenting the face taken a picture there. He knows the man's history…. he knows it so well, even since the first time he received the boy's wanted poster and hearing about his devil fruit which play marines' body part like toys. No one else is referred to Roci's new personal case for leaving his post and missing for 6 months but Trafalgar Law. What he remember is his last order to Rocinante… the last time they spoke, don't let Doflamingo steal Ope Ope no Mi.
"I bring Cora-san's message for Marine."
"Why do you tell me that? Aftermath Marine Ford, I'm now an Inspector General."
"You are those who communicated with him at that time, I just had to say it. Save it. I know you still can not do anything."
He thought the rookie would clash with Doflamingo in Shichibukai meeting, so is this what the surgeon of death wanted to resolve?
"Garp's grandson really loves to make a mess everywhere." Tsuru's commenting the alliance in sigh, enough the mess in Marine Ford and now what happens in Dressrosa has bigger effect than this. She can imagine Sakazuki's boiling face like a volcano ready to erupt, somehow she's glad Sengoku has retired.
Sengoku then stands up to throw the wet newspaper to the ocean, also backs on her to stare up at the blue sky. "Tsuru-chan, I feel like seeing Rocinante somewhere there." Yes, the kid who was found crying was gone in smiling. "Finally after 13 years, you think he has rested in peace now?"
Tsuru finishes her tea before answering… indirectly. "Your last order, Inspector."
"Yeah yeah,"Sengoku turned, it's indeed what his mentioned ordered since the beginning, "you've been waiting to wash and dry Doflamingo like a laundry bag. It's Rocinante's wish."
