To These Dreams We Hold: Our First Breath
Skipping back a few years to the beginning, we glimpse pieces of Yoko and Ace's early life, where the story really begins
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19 years ago:
They were calling it the Greatest Age of Pirates the world had ever seen. There were more monsters roaming the seas than actual monsters.
The World Government and Marines were in a deadlock with the strongest men of the seas. The Whitebeard Pirates and the Roger Pirates had decimated their fleet and there were only a handful of marines that could go toe to toe with the respective captains. The seas had become even more dangerous when Vice-Admiral Namikaze Minato and his wife defected four years previous. He was young, younger than the other two captains, which is what worried the Marines. It had been great when he had been on their side but now he was out there roaming the seas with the potential to become the strongest pirate to ever roam the them. They predicted he would surpass both Whitebeard and Roger in a few years.
With all the chaos going on around the Grandline, a piercing scream echoed from behind infirmary doors as a pacing, soon-to-be father, Minato bit his nails in anxiety. Moments later, another cry joined in, this one more high pitched and new.
She was here!
Minato rushed in as his newborn daughter was placed in his wife's arms. Kushina looked like hell but all that disappeared when she was finally able to hold her baby.
"Hey there," she cooed, getting lost in the clearest of blues eyes. She was perfect. A smile of sheer joy broke out as she just took her all in. The joy extended to her husband who carefully placed himself next to the duo on the bed. Minato was just as captivated as her.
"She's…" He couldn't even find the words.
"Perfect."
"Namikaze Yoko. You are perfect." He kissed her hand, already in love with her.
The new parents snuggled in together, catching up on rest and basking in the presence they had been waiting 9 months for.
As their eyes began to close, a whimper made its way out of unused lips.
2 years later:
Laughter rang out across the deck as the sun beat down on the watching crew members. It had become a common occurrence since their littlest member had learned to run. Mischief seemed to follow her as her tiny toddler feet carried her further from Kakashi's reach.
Young Yoko, on short legs, rounded the starboard side of the ship, her laughter cut off immediately as she crashed into the terrifying figure of her mother.
Looking at her mother, Yoko knew she was in trouble, her mom had that look in her eyes.
Kushina turned her attention to her husband's student, "And what is my daughter doing with THAT book?!"
The teenager locked eyes with Kushina as his hand crept closer to his book still in Yoko's grasp.
"Honestly Kushina, what's the big deal? It's not like she can read."
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say.
"Doesn't matter?!" She marched closer to the teenager who was only now beginning to realize his mistake.
Backing away, hands up, Kakashi tried placating her. "Now that's not what I meant…I only meant she won't understand the story…"
Seeing her mother distracted, Yoko took her chance to flee, book still clutched in her toddler arms. She made it all of two steps before she found herself swept up in larger, warm arms.
A warm voice chuckled in her ear, "And where do you think you're going, you little monster?"
Minato coaxed out the object of the argument in front of him, glancing at the title and understanding dawning on him. Throwing Yoko a mild glare, he reprimanded her, "These are not your books Yoko. We do not steal." Yoko's bottom lip began to quiver. She didn't like it when her daddy yelled at her. "Now take it back to Kakashi and say sorry." He gave the book back to her and set her on the deck to complete her task.
When she reached the grey haired teenager, she dropped the book at his feet, "S'wry."
Kakashi bent to pick it up but stopped mid-crouch with the look Kushina was giving him. Laughing it off, Kakashi instead ruffled Yoko's hair, "Just don't take things that aren't yours. Okay, Little Red?"
Yoko pouted, lip still quivering. Sighing at the drama unfolding around him, Minato picked his daughter back up so his wife could finish her lecture to Kakashi.
"Let's leave Kushina and Kakashi to their little spat so I can take my best girl to the crow's nest." Minato propositioned to his daughter. The crow's nest was one of her favorite spots on the ship and it was their space.
Yoko immediately perked up, she knew what crow's nest meant.
"Daddy, go."
Who was he to deny his little girl?
"Captain! There's a little girl back here!" A shout of surprise rang out from the captain's quarter.
A crash sounded from outside the room followed by an angry yell, "I'm not falling for that, you asshole!"
"I'm not lying! She's not that old." Here the teenager knelt closer to the frightened little girl, "Do you know your name?" He was trying to be as non-menacing as possible with a bloody sword at his side.
Defiant blue eyes stared back at him.
"I promise I won't hurt you. They won't be able to hurt you." The boy was grasping at straw, trying to get the girl to trust him. After a war with himself, he came to a conclusion. Taking the straw-hat off his head, he held it out for her to see. "This is my most treasured possession. If I let you hold it, will you tell me your name?" His insides twisted at his offer but he didn't want to traumatize the girl any more than she already was.
She surprised him by pushing the hat back to him, "S'not mine. Bad."
Placing his hat back on his head, the teenager decided to start over. "I'm Shanks. What's your name?"
The little girl moved forward, still cautious, "Yo-ko." She pronounced it like she had been practicing saying it to someone.
Shanks felt his eyes widen at the same time the door opened.
"Great seas!" A surprised gasp escaped the man's mouth. His imposing figure and magnificent mustache came across as quite intimidating to the young girl who hide herself behind the only thing she felt could protect her, Shanks.
"Captain…she's-!"
"Aiy, looks just like her mother."
"You could tell?"
"Hair and eyes like that? There's no question she's their daughter." The man stepped further into the cabin, looking around. "Why is she here, that's the question."
His black eyes bore into her defiant blues. A laugh erupted deep from his chest. She was trembling in fear yet still had the bravery to look at him like that.
"Baddy!" Her small voice rang out, a mixture of fear and anger.
Shanks focused on her, silently motioning he had everything under control in here to his captain. "No no. That's Captain Roger. He's going to let your parents know that we found you. He's good." Seeing her doubtful look, he racked his mind on how to convince her. "He gave me this hat. My precious hat."
Her eyes focused on his hat again like she was understanding what he was getting at. "Nice?"
A smile broke out across his face, she got it. "Do you want to meet the rest of the crew? They're nice too?" He knew it may be asking too much but they had to get off Shiki's ship and back on board the Oro Jackson. Yoko held her arms up in what Shanks assumed meant she wanted picked up. Obliging her, the two red heads made their way out onto the deck where Shiki's crew were being tied up and interrogated about why they had Namikaze Yoko on their boat and what they were planning to do with her.
Shanks bypassed them, Yoko didn't need to see her captors.
They passed a few crew members who stopped and stared at the two but didn't say anything.
Yoko held tightly to Shanks, her tiny fists clenched into his loose shirt. "Crews nes."
"Wha-?" After a moment of confusion, Shanks understood her request and adjusted his path accordingly, making sure someone saw him head that way.
It was hours later that the two were found, Yoko giggling at something Shanks had said, when the Hiraishin came into view.
Shanks placed her on his back as they made their way down to the deck to await their guests.
It wasn't long until a blur of yellow and red appeared at the helm, desperation on both their faces.
"Yoko!" relief laced every syllable of her name as it escaped her parent's mouths. She raced down Shanks' back, crying out as she was engulfed in her parent's safe embrace.
He knew it wasn't permanent but she had grown on him. She was a little ball of sunshine and she looked at him like he was her hero. He'd miss her, that's for sure.
"Shacks coming too." Multiple pairs of eyes turned in his direction at Yoko's demand.
Minato was the first to react, "Little Red, he's got to stay here, with his crew."
"He's my friend. I don't want him t'go."
She had inherited her mother's stubbornness, there was no fighting that.
Snickers went around the boat at that. Looks like Shanks had an admirer.
The water could be heard softly lapping at the bottom of the boat. The sea had an unusual calmness about it, not something common in this part of the Grandline.
"Don't you worry little princess! I'll have your Shanks calling you once a week if you'd like! And we can even meet up for you two! Laughter erupted from the man and you wouldn't guess that he had just burnt down a handful of ships a few hours ago with how joyous he was.
Teasing immediately went around the crew as they took in their Captain's words.
"Isn't she a little young for your tastes?" Buggy sneered at his fellow apprentice, not liking the attention he was receiving.
"Hey! Don't talk to Shacks like that, ugly big nose!" Yoko exclaimed in indignation, struggling to get out of her father's arms.
Silence took over both crews before booming laughter from Roger and Kushina killed it.
"What'd you-?! I kill you you red devil!"
"Oh buck up Buggy." Rayleigh slid over, hand shoving the young clown into the deck, "You're not gonna let a little kid rile you up, are you?"
When everything finally calmed down and Minato sent his crew back to the ship, he and Kushina approached Roger.
The couple had limited interaction with the man who was busy making a name for himself throughout the Grandline.
Kushina was the first to talk. "Thank you for saving Yoko. Shiki attacked out of nowhere and when he retreated we didn't realize he had taken her." Her purple eyes took in her husband and daughter finally where she was supposed to be. "She's our entire world."
Roger could see the love the small family shared and it reminded him of his own, waiting for his return. He understood them perfectly, more than they could understand. If someone took Ace, he would burn the world down to find him.
"She's something special. Has more bravery than some of my men."
Minato glanced down at his daughter who was staring at Roger, still a little wary of the large man. "She has a harder road ahead of her than most kids her age. Just think what the World Government would do if you had a child."
Roger and the rest of the crew stood a little straighter.
"She'll always have to look over her shoulder, always be hunted because of who we are, what we did." A soft hand placed itself on his shoulder, a show of support from Kushina. She had accepted his decision and followed him in his quest for the truth. "We owe you a debt."
Roger stepped forward, hand outstretched, blinding white grin taking over his face, "My offer stands, once a week."
Minato was slightly confused but had a feeling that Roger understood him so took the offering for what it was, "Once a week."
"Hear that Straw-hat! Once a week." Kushina called out to Shanks.
"Bye Shacks! Bye Monkey Man!" Yoko high-pitched voice called out to the only two men she had met.
Why? Why did she have to say things like that? Why couldn't she have picked up more of his personality?
Booming laughter followed them off the ship.
He had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time they ran into the Roger Pirates.
Minato was right. Over the next few months, the crew 'accidentally' met up with one another where Shanks and Yoko instantly took off with one another. Honestly, you'd think they were siblings with how fast they took to each other.
Minato, known for his keen observation, could tell something was wrong with Roger. The way he was holding himself changed. To him, it looked like the Pirate King was exhausted. His shoulders were not as straight, his hair fell limper, and his face just looked like he hadn't slept in days.
He put it out of mind. It wasn't his business and Rayleigh would take care of his captain if something was wrong.
It was their second time on the Oro Jackson that Roger surprised all of them.
"His name's Ace. He's my son."
The day dissolved into the two children fighting over who was Shanks's favorite.
The last time the Flash Pirates saw the crew of the Oro Jackson, Minato knew something was off.
"The first time we met…you worried about Yoko being hunted for your actions. My son…he will suffer for my actions. He will be hunted because of his blood."
Kushina stepped forward, worry lining her face at where the conversation was heading. "You'll be there to protect him. Nothing will happen to –."
Her husband cut her off, "You're dying." It was the only logical conclusion with everything he's seen the last few months. The Pirate King was just not the man he used to be. Sure, he put on a show of strength and normality but it was all catching up with him. "How long? Weeks? Months?"
Even his once booming laugh seemed pathetic.
"My time is up. I've been living on borrowed time for the past 5 years. The only thing that kept me fighting was Ace. I couldn't leave this world without knowing my son…but even that's not enough anymore."
"Roger." Kushina's gentle hands cupped his. He could feel her pity, feel her heartache.
"I won't die!" His sake in front of him disappeared in seconds as he gulped it down. The conversation was turning in to another one he had had only days before. "After you leave, I'm disbanding my crew. We'll go our separate ways, live out our lives." His black eyes bore into the couple. "You are the only ones to understand. Ace…no one but our crews know about him."
"His mother?"
"I've been careful, no one knows about Rogue. But these things have a way of getting out." Rarely, has anyone seen Roger get emotional or chocked up. It was a reminded that for all his fame and exploits, Roger was still a man.
"We'll take him with us, both Rogue and Ace! They'll be safe, protected." She stressed the last word. Ace would never be safe again but if they could provide him protection from the Marines and World Government, there was no question they would.
No, he couldn't ask that of them. They had enough to deal with protecting Yoko; adding another child would put them in even more danger.
"The marines would never stop hunting you. The second they discover Ace, they will follow him to the ends of the world. The Grandline isn't a safe place for him."
They were parents. It was rare for people like them to be parents. The dangers of their life was no place to bring up children but life doesn't always play out the way you expect it to. There was something you learn being a parent, something you never knew before. A child changes you. Roger knew he wasn't father of the year but he loved his son with all his heart and if there was a way he could shield him from the pain that was to follow, he would. But he couldn't. He was sitting here, in his final days, making plans for his son's future instead of spending his remaining time with him.
The three knew the dangers of the Grandline. It wasn't only the World Government Ace had to worry about. It was the scores of enemies his father had made over the decades. Any one of them wouldn't hesitate to take their revenge on Roger through his son.
Flowing laughter seeped into the room, alerting the occupants to the shenanigans taking place outside the door.
"AAACCCCEE!" was heard followed by a loud thump and grumbling.
Minato and Kushina took that as their cue, giving their silent support to Roger as they left the cabin. They would keep their eyes and ears out for anything that might lead to Ace.
Roger felt lighter. He wasn't scared of dying…he was looking forward to it at this point, but the hardest part was leaving those he loved and cared about. The crew knew that something was happening today, they just weren't sure what. Only Rayleigh knew what he was planning and his first mate supported his decision.
Just a few more days and his suffering would be over. He downed a few pills, noting they weren't lasting as long as before.
Throwing his red captain's coat on, it was time to remind the world why he was Pirate King!
Thank you so much to GreenDrkness, claire nunnaly, koylic, Michievously, and wdog44 for leaving a review along with everyone else who followed/favorite! This is like my baby. I've been working on this idea for 5 years and I'm so glad people like it!
I took some liberties with the timeline as you no doubt can see from this chapter.