Pairing: EdwardxIchigo, weird right? I know that.

Universes: One Piece x Bleach

Summary: The Whitebeard crew is one huge family, but what's a family without a mother? Plus, why do you think Whitebeard adoptedso many children?

Warnings: Yaoi, CRACK PAIRING (seriously …) character death, Mpreg.

A/N: You'll really have to bear with me on this one. Yes. I have slightly lost the plot of life and gained this one in return. Please, bear in mind that Whitebeard was not always the size he was before he died, i.e. 5 times the size of an average human. When he was known as Edward Newgate and never once had an interest in gold or treasure, he was actually comparable to the rest of his crew. He also had blonde hair, as seen when he was 52. The Whitebeard Ichigo meets is known as Edward Newgate, who's only dream was to have a family of his own.

And before anyone says it, I know towards the end of the chapter is a bit of a weird one to grasp, but please read on. It will make sense at the end! I promise!


At The Heart


Meeting Masaki had been his dream come true. Subsequently, the main goal of his journey. He had found the one. And now he could spend the rest of his life with her. Or so he thought. He was aware of the prejudice against the merfolk and fishmen. You had to go a long way to find someone who didn't. The people of Fishman Island were just as afraid of humans as the humans were of them.

Neither party had ever lived amongst the other for an extended time before. Isshin was hard pressed to convince the people that he meant them no harm. Even the act of saving Masaki from a group of slave traders after mermaids to sell at the auction houses on land, left a few people with doubts. They didn't want one of their Royal Princess' to come into any danger. And to them, being anywhere near Isshin counted as more than enough danger than they could take.

It took him years to try and convince the merfolk that he was trustworthy and that his love for Masaki was pure and true. He was finally getting somewhere and disaster struck.

A wave of Government dogs swept through the Island, out for the blood of any human that dared associate with those beneath them. Masaki feared that word of a human being in love with a Mermaid Princess had reached the surface and the human government were out to kill Isshin. She knew that it was risky, but she had to get Isshin to safety.

She truly believed that Isshin was the strongest man she had ever met and loved him with all her heart. But she knew that the pressure of the water would surely kill him should she try to swim him to safety.

Isshin grasped her hands in his, looking her straight in the eye and she knew that no matter what, Isshin would never leave her. That he would not let himself die until he knew that she was safe and happy once more.

They fled. Isshin was encased in a bubble that was threatening to break from the get go. He quickly fell unconscious, but Masaki would not give up hope. She called to the fish to guide her to her love's home Island, persevering until she broke the surface next to the small port of Wado Country. Dragging Isshin as far up the nearby beach as she could, she was shocked when a human approached her so readily and without her noticing.

"My, my, what do we have here?"

The stranger was standing with the sun directly behind his head, casting his entire body in shadow. The stranger had the most peculiar shaped head she had ever seen – this coming from a mermaid. It was like a cabbage in an upside down bucket. She threw herself over Isshin's body to protect him, still unsure of his condition.

The stranger stepped closer, removing what Masaki now saw to be a hat revealing a rather handsome man. He was quite scruffy, but in a rugged charming way.

"Not need to worry, Miss. Kurosaki-san is an old friend of mine. Though how he met such a lovely mermaid as you is quite the mystery."

His kind face showed wisdom beyond his years. A knowing smile on his face. Masaki was unsure of his intentions, but she had no choice when Isshin's life could hang in the balance.

"Please help Isshin. We've travelled so far to get here. He lost consciousness not long after leaving my Island, but the bubble preserving his air did not break. Can you help him?"

"Well, Miss." Urahara stated more seriously, "Why don't you tell me about how you came to know Kurosaki-san in more detail while I treat him. Your secrets are safe with me."

It wasn't until a year later did Isshin see Masaki again, only this time she wasn't alone…

Kisuke considered himself a patient man, but even he was at his wits end with the way Isshin was acting.

The man threw himself through fits of anger, worry and sadness on a half-hourly basis. For an entire year.

Kisuke had had to restrain his friend on numerous occasions when he had a half-thought up plan to return to Fishman Island to mind Masaki. The villagers all thought he was slightly mental. Prattling on to himself about his "Princess" and how much he missed her and wanted to kill all those who stood between them.

As Kisuke was the only eye witness to the striking beauty that was Masaki, Isshin repeatedly tried to pull him into any discussions about his possible madness. They had heard strange tales of men going out to see and coming back claiming they had seen all sorts of wild things and babbling to themselves about how they had met a Princess they were going to marry as soon as they met again.

Even Isshin's parents, who had initially thought it was funny taking their son's eccentric personality into account, were starting to worry for their son's well-being. They called upon Kisuke to try and talk some sense into Isshin. Convince him that there was no princess and that he must have been imagining things.

Kisuke longed to defend his friend's behaviour, but doing so would put not only Isshin but Masaki-san in danger. He did explain to Isshin's parents that he did believe that Isshin had, in fact, met the woman of his dreams. Isshin was many things, but he was not a liar.

Everyone in their village could believe that Isshin had met a beauty, for the sea was vast and he had travelled far, and Isshin was quite the attractive man. But when he started talking about her being a mermaid, they freaked out. There was still the old prejudices about merfolk and fishmen about, along with the belief that they didn't even exist. That they were fairy tale/mythical/legendary creatures that sailors fantasized about on a long lonely trip out at sea.

However, Kisuke had seen the truth with his own eyes that they did exist. He just wished that Masaki-san would return to the Island soon, or there wouldn't be an Isshin to return to.

Dark thoughts aside … Kisuke meandered to where Isshin spent the majority of his days now, the beach where Masaki left him to Kisuke. In some ways, Kisuke could understand his friend's pining. Masaki-san had had to leave before they could say good bye to each other, and they had no way to stay in contact either.

Isshin was sat, as usual, in the exact spot he woke up on a year ago. He was staring out on to the horizon with and almost mournful air. Kisuke didn't bother to alert Isshin to his presence, the man would hardly notice him anyway. He sat down beside his long-time friend to survey the sun's reflection on the rippling sea.

"Did I dream her up, Kisuke?"

Kisuke was surprised. Through all his mumbling, Isshin had never sounded pessimistic, or like he was forcing himself to believe in what he was saying.

"Baka." Isshin's head snapped up to see Kisuke smiling at him mischievously. "I saw Masaki-san with my own two eyes. You calling me a liar?"

Isshin's frown morphed into a wide smile. "Of course not. She's my Princess, the woman I am going to spend the rest of my life with." Isshin looked up at the sky wistfully. "I wonder what would have happened if I went up instead of down."

"Interesting. Mermaid vs. Angel. I heard they exit you know."

"What?"

"People in the sky. They're about 10, 000 metres above our heads, waiting for us to catch them if they fall."

They laughed about the possibilities of people falling from the sky until the sun started to set, casting a wonderful palette of colour across the sky and sea.

Isshin, who was lying back on the sand with his head resting on his crossed arms, was ready to turn in for the day. He could only do so much waiting in one day before his heart began to break a little.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could see her standing before him. A gentle smile on her beautiful face, her arms open wide, her soft voice calling out to him.

Isshin …

Isshin …

"Isshin!"

Isshin shot up and hit Kisuke in the jaw.

"What was that for?" Kisuke wailed, clutching his cheek.

"For interrupting my vision of Masaki. She was calling out to me." Smoothing a hand over his hair. "But it must have been you calling me instead."

"Uh … Isshin."

"What now?"

"No one has spoken for the last 5 minutes."

"You must have said something, I knew someone was calling -" Isshin!

Isshin!

"Uh, are you okay?"

"Shut up! I can still hear it."

Isshin! Isshin! Isshin!

"Isshin!"

"Isshin!"

Out on the horizon, an achingly familiar silhouette was making its way towards them. Isshin didn't think, just ran out into the surf to meet her. The One. His Masaki. He picked her up and twirled her around, a long flowing skirt covering her magnificent tail.

"Masaki, my Masaki."

Isshin was so happy he was bawling into Masaki's chest as they fell onto the sand bed. Masaki sighed lovingly, holding on just as tight. She had waited for far too long to be held in these arms again. She knew that it had been for the best at the time, but that didn't make staying apart any easier. Though there was one thing that kept her world the right way up.

"Isshin, I have a surprise. Close your eyes."

"But Masaki," Isshin lifted his head from her chest, tears bubbling in his eye, "I just got you back; I don't want to take my eyes off you ever again."

"Fine, you sill silly human," She sighed affectionately. Turning back to the ocean she called out. "Bring her up."

At first there was silence and then the surface of the sea started bubbling and frothing. A school of fish were making their way towards the shore at breakneck speed, towing along a Moses basket in a bubble. Isshin and Kisuke ran to meet it as it drifted ashore.

Kisuke stood there with his fan covering a shocked expression. Isshin took one look in the basket and fainted.

Only to suddenly revive himself and run at Masaki again. Spinning her with even more vigour than before. Carrying her over to the basket so they could both gaze down at their little baby girl.

Bright orange hair, big brown eyes and the cutest little silver and chrome striped tail. She also had a pink t-shirt with a strawberry on it.

"Isshin, this is Ichigo. Ichigo, this is Daddy."

"Ichigo, huh?" Kisuke leaned over the happy parents' heads at the most amazing thing he had ever seen.

"Ichigo, this is Uncle Kisuke. He's scruffy and not even a fraction as cool as your Daddy." Isshin boasted proudly, smiling when Ichigo's arms reached up to him in excitement. Gurgling at the new faces in front of her.

"Want to hold her?" Masaki asked, not taken aback at all when Isshin squeezed her in happiness. Masaki reached into the basket to pick up the squirming mermaid.

Isshin couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his beloved holding their child. It was his newest dream come true. Masaki passed his daughter into his arms and he froze. Afraid that the slightest wrong movement would harm his precious little girl. His heart simply melting when a tiny hand reached up to pat his chin. Ichigo squealed with delight at the strange feel.

"Sorry to break up the family moment, but you think it's a good idea to move it off the beach?"

Isshin scowled at Kisuke slightly, but knew he was speaking sense. Placing Ichigo back in the basket as carefully as he could. He stood, sweeping and arm under Masaki's tail to lift her up and lifting the basket in the other arm. He stopped Kisuke's suggestion with a glare.

"This is my family; I'll carry them to the ends of the world if I have to." Kisuke backed down when he knew that Isshin could never be more serious if he tried. It seemed that the realisation that he had a family to protect now had made Isshin grow up in a matter of minutes. Masaki leaned her head against Isshin's strong shoulder, wrapping one arm around his neck for support and then other wrapping a yawning Ichigo up into her blanket. She looked up to Isshin's face which was face forward with a strong expression. She knew that she and Ichigo were going to be safe from now on.

Needless to say, when Isshin arrived at his family home – despite suggestions that the family should go to Kisuke's – with a beautiful woman on one arm and a baby basket in the other, his family was shocked. There was stunned silence from Isshin's parents.

His father was first to break the stalemate. "Well bring them in, Isshin. You can't leave a lady and a baby out in the cold." His mother looked at his father like he was insane.

Yes, the woman was blindingly beautiful, and the baby was adorable, but she seemed to be the only one taken aback that her daughter in law and grandchild had a fish tail.

"Hush, woman. Isshin is his own man now. He will take care of his family no matter what."

Masaki bowed at her waist, "My name is Masaki, and our daughter is called Ichigo. We are thankful that you have let us into your home."

Isshin's mother seemed to perk up after the shock had worn off. Holding her granddaughter and laughing with Masaki over how cute she was.

Isshin's father took Isshin aside and had his son explain how he managed to meet and fall in love with a mermaid. He nodded proudly when Isshin told him the story of how he saved Masaki from poachers and, by doing so, won her father's favour. When Isshin explained that Masaki was part of the Royal Family, even a man as dignified as Isshin's father, yelled in disbelief.

His mother was as equally shocked when her husband repeated the information. Before things got out of hand, Kisuke suggested that the family remain quiet about Masaki's background until they could think up what they should do.

The couple had to think about where they were going to live. With the prejudices facing Masaki and Ichigo, and their inability to move around on their own Wado Country did not appear to be an option. They could live on Fishman Island until Masaki was 30 and then could walk on land. But even that left Ichigo still unable to live on land. They could stay on Fishman Island permanently; Isshin had already proved that he was loyal and devoted to Masaki. Ichigo could grow up amongst the Merfolk, occasionally visiting Wado Country to see her grandparents.

Somehow, none of these options seemed like the right choice.

There was also the possibility that Marines could come after Isshin once again, putting Masaki and Ichigo in danger.

Isshin looked down at the little girl in his arms thoughtfully. She was going to become quite the beauty. Stealing all the boys hearts, before he pummelled them into the bottom of the sea for even thinking about going anywhere near his daughter!

While Isshin fantasized about the many ways he was going to scare the living hell out of any possible suitors, Kisuke guided him towards his room, Ichigo still in his arms. Isshin's parents followed behind, supporting Masaki on the way to Isshin's room. With Isshin and Masaki lain down on he futon with little Ichigo between them, Kisuke bid his farewells to the new family and Isshin's parents. He left to ponder what he had seen that night, and how nice it would be to have a family of his own.

Meanwhile, in Isshin's room they were just settling down to sleep when Isshin noticed something.

"Masaki?"

"Yes, Isshin."

"You said that Ichigo was a mermaid, right? As in female."

"Isshin, what are you -?"

The resounding yells from the pair of them had Isshin's parents running to their son's room in a panic.

"What's going on? Has something happened … to … Ichigo?" Their voices trailed off as they locked on to what the commotion was about.

Where a silver and chrome striped tail should have been was a pair of baby legs and something else that was definitely not female.

"Ichigo's a boy?"


I did say that it would be explained, sort of. But that's the next chapter!

FlamingOrangeRose -x