Newgate
When Newgate dies he is seventy-two years old, and damn if he hasn't lived a good life. He dies a proud man, the strongest man in the world, able to protect his family - over a thousand men and women who call him father - with the strength and influence he has gained throughout his life. He has achieved his dream; he does not only have a family, he has the biggest family in the world, and they are ones he gladly dies for.
When he first started, when he was a sailor under another and didn't have any family at all people laughed. Who would want a family when you can have all the riches in the world? Those men were privileged, privileged or or so far past the pain that they no longer could imagine a life loving another living being. But Newgate wasn't. He remembered the warmth and happiness of a family, and he wanted that back more than anything, and so, he left the pirate crew that had taken him from his home island in order to build a crew of his own.
Meeting Marco was a coincidence, but a welcomed one. The kid was thirteen years old and alone, but he was brave. He still had the will to live, and when he thought he was about to die he stared death in the face and didn't show any fear. So Newgate brought the boy with him on his journey, making him his first son and training him to be strong himself.
The day before Newgate died Marco asked him if he was going to Marineford to die. Whitebeard's answer was probbaly something he expected, but it didn't lessen the pain in his eyes that he tried to hide. It pains him when he dies, the grief he knows that Marco and his other children will feel, but he knows that Marco will take care of them, and that they will take care of him in turn. His children will continue on.
Ace is already dead, and it pains him just as much as every other one of his children's deaths. It isn't just for him to have passed so early, with so much left for him, but life isn't just - no matter what the marines want the world to believe. But Ace was a pirate, and the thing about pirates is that they are prepared, they know that they could die at any moment, expect it even, and he is sure that the boy doesn't regret giving up his life for his little brother, just as Newgate doesn't regret giving his life for his children.
But that very brother, Strawhat, he has potential, and as Ace will no longer be able to become the next Pirate King as Newgate had believed he is now sure that it will be the Strawhat brat, if he doesn't get himself killed first that is. Which he very well might, unless Jinbe gets him out of Marineford first.
Not that he will find out anytime soon, as Newgate's own death is imminent. His chest and arms are covered in wounds, but the hole through his chest and the melted portion of his head is what is the most fatal. He knows this well. So he speaks his last words...
"One Piece… does exist!"
...and succumbs to the darkness, still never letting his body fall down, never retreating or leaving his sons and daughters vulnerable,
The darkness is calm, it is peaceful. It feels familiar in a way, but not too familiar. He has a notion of where he might be, but he hasn't been here often. Near death experiences have never been common in his life, he has always been too strong for his enemies to be able to drive him to that point.
But the darkness is not only calm, it is also empty, absent in a way. It is empty in the same way that dreamless sleep is, but less. But he doesn't think that it will last. If he could feel his stomach he would say he felt it in his gut, but now it is more of a sense that sweeps over his conciousness.
His feeling is right, of course, as it usually is. He can feel his limbs coming back, feel wood against his skin, and the prescences of hundreds nearby. He recognises most of them. Many of them are his sons and daughters, some are from Roger's old crew, and some are other pirates he has met during his time, pirates who have challenged him and pirates who have been his allies, although many unofficial.
He opens his eyes and is greeted by the blue sky. He sits up and does a cursory examination of his limbs. They're all whole and back in their places. He runs a hand over his scalp and feels a bandana there, and thankfully his head is whole as well. He feels healthy, unlike he has felt for a long time. He will never need the tubes and IVs his nurses insisted that he use.
He is sitting in a skiff, he realises. Albeit a big one, but a skiff all the same, and at the bottom lies a pair of oars and his bisento. He picks up the weapon, running his hands over it to ensure that there isn't any damage.
Another, smalller, skiff bumps into his own, gliding away after the impact. It's empty, but it's enough for him to look up at his surroundings properly. He is surrounded by skiffs and boats, all of them empty. Ways away is a yellow raft with a sail that he recognises as Ace's Striker. Beyond them all is a much bigger ship, crowded with pirates.
The ship is what is holding everyone he sensed earlier, and he recognises dozens upon dozens of his sons and daughters by the railing. Some of them have seen him already, and the word seems to be spreading quickly. Jane - a stout woman who died a decade ago - lets out a loud shout while her twin-brother Jack starts sobbing, alerting the ones farther away. Dai is at the very front of the crowd, and shouts out "Oyaji!" when he spots Newgate.
After that everyone aboard are rushing towards the railing even quicker than before, shoving, squeezing and elbowing their ways forth. Among them are Thatch and Ace, one of who looks shell-shocked and the other grim.
Having glanced over everyone in his sight to make sure they're unhurt Newgate picks up the oars and starts rowing towards the ship, pushing away the empty boats as he goes. There is a ladder already hanging over the side of ship and he climbs up it, stepping onto deck with thudding steps. That's when the dam bursts. His children cry, sob, some in happiness, some in sadness and disbelief.
"Gurarara, hello, my children," he says to them, smiling down at his beloved family. Many of the ones present died during the war he lust left, but some of them died long before that, and he is very happy to see them.
"Finally arrived then, Eddie? That's good, I was starting to miss having a drinking buddy who can keep up with me!" a voice that does not belong to any of his children breaks through the murmur of sobs. Whitebeard laughs.
"It's good to see you too, Roger," he says in return, grinning down at his old drinking buddy. Roger twirls his mostache, grinning back with his usual happy grin, there is a glimt in his eye, though, of confusion and a slight sadness. He understands why when he spots the equally confused but rage-filled expression on Ace's face where he stands in the crowd. The two have obviously spoken already.
"Oyaji... " he looks down at the man standing closest, it's Dai, his first Second Division Commander. It's been long since they last saw each other.
"What is it, son?" Newgate lets his hand fall on the former commanders shoulder.
"You're really here…" he trails off, "I-I never thought- you-" Dai looks confused, like his whole world has been tilted and everything he knows is turned on its end. He's not the only one. But his words seem to be what broke the proverbial camels back, because suddenly his children are swarming around Newgate, clamouring for his attention one way or another.
He takes his time to greet them all one by one, speaking at least a few words with every one of them, but his children are many, on this ship alone are over a hundred of the many men and women he has picked up over the years, so it takes long, but he does speak to every one. Some take longer than others, and some conversations and greetings are longer than some, like Ace.
When the boy has made his way to the front he seems to be at a loss for words, and simply stares up at Newgate. But he is thankful to see him, and makes sure that his son knows this.
"I'm glad to see you've arrived safely, my son," he says and places a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Ace says, "for all the trouble I've caused, I got you killed," his voice is as solemn as his expression but his eyes shine with hope of being forgiven. Idiot boy. Waging war on the World Government is the sort of thing Newgate would do for every one of his children, and he knows that they would do so for any of their brothers and sisters as well. It's just the way they work.
"Foolish brat," Whitebeard says and whacks him lightly - though lightly for him is actually quite harshly to anyone else - over the head, "that's the kind of thing you do for family."
The relief on Ace's face is almost palpable. Newgate chuckles, ruffling his hair. Ace smiles brightly and steps back to the crowd, knowing that his siblings need this just as much as he does.
When he at last has spoken to every man and woman who have been part of his family in the past, and still are in the present, Roger approaches.
"I take it you're bringing your crew with you away?" he asks. Newgate grins back at him.
"Was there ever any question about it?" he chuckles.
"Not really, but you never know, you might've missed my company," Roger teases.
"We'll visit," Whitebeard ensures, clapping his old rival on the back.
"You better, I'm going to make peace with my son if it's the last thing I do," a determined expression crosses his face and he looks off to the side. Newgate follows his gaze and sees Ace sitting on the railing next to a woman with fair hair and skin, but with freckles and a smile Whitebeard recognises from Ace's more tender moments. It's his mother, he realises. Rouge, if he remembers corredctly.
"He's a stubborn brat, just like you, but you've got a lot in common," Newgate starts, "but know that I keep his well-being and sense of freedom first. I will not make him talk, and I won't let you force him to either," he says in a definite voice. There is no arguing when he uses this tone.
"Thank you, Eddie," Roger says suddenly, low and serious, "for taking care of him, for giving him the family I could not."
"I'd have taken him in even if he wasn't yours," Whitebeard responds resolutely, he too with his eyes on the young man.
"'Course you would've," Roger snorts, arms crossed over his chest. He knows that it's true. It's a rule of life; Whitebeard takes in lost kids, Roger protects his crew, Shikki is just slightly mad and Garp cannot get enough of rice-crackers. It's just the way things are.
They stand there in comfortable silence for a while, Roger watching Ace and Rouge while Newgate keeps an eye on his own children. The silence is only broken when Thatch bounces up to them, a jovial expression on his face.
"Aren't they cute?" he asks with a soft smile, nodding towards Ace and his mother, "it's nice, that Ace is allowed to be a real kid for once. I mean sure, he's a troublesome little brother, as he should be, but he's still never really a kid." Newgate hums in agreement, nodding, while Roger gazes harder at his little family.
"He is going to get the chance again," he says determinedly with the same glimt in his eye that he used to get when he was protecting his crew.
"So!" he then says, spinning around to face the other Captain and Commander, his mood doing a complete turn-around, "not that I'm not enjoying your company, Eddie, but if all of your children and yourself is going to stay here we'll have to expand the ship, and I don't think the Reapers will be too happy with that," he chuckles at the last bit and Thatch grins.
"With an event as big as us moving out they'll have to come down either way, won't they?" Thatch says with laughter in his eyes. He then turns to Newgate, offering an explanation that he needn't even ask for.
"The Reapers are the ones who run this place, they patch us up and give us somewhere to live, which also means that they come down to help out when big stuff happens around the ships. One of them had to come down a few weeks ago to help another crew get off, he didn't like talking to us at all," he laughs, "especially not Roger," he bumps the other man's arm.
"Frank and I have known each other for a long time, he always deals with people leaving around here," Roger laughs, "but you're right, Thatchy-boy, he'll probably be coming down for this."
"When does he come?" Newgate asks. It is unthinkable that it should happen later rather than sooner, so the Reaper better be quick.
"As soon as you decide to go," Roger answers, quirking a smirk.
"In that case I've decided," it only takes bare moments before a tall - though still unbearably short by Newgate's standards - figure wrapped up in a dark cloak appears on deck, as if assembled from thin air.
"You are Whitebeard?" it asks and said man nods his confirmation. The others on deck seem to have noticed the creature, and while the ones who were already here don't seem surprised in the least - they seem rather expectant - but the ones who arrived with Newgate are very confused.
"And you have made your decision?" Another nod.
"Very well," Frank turns his back on Whitebeard to walk closer to the railing. When he reaches it he raises his arms and makes a sound like clicking his fingers. As soon as he does mist starts rolling in over the horizon, heading for them at a rapid speed. As it nears Newgate spots a familiar whale-head peaking out from the thick mist. It's the Moby Dick. Or at least he thinks so until it comes closer for real. It is now easy for him to see that this is not their flag ship, something which is confirmed when he sees the words Moby Dick II scrawled out on the side of the ship. Few of the others seem to notice though.
"The Moby Dick has made a decision, it is up to you to see it through," Frank says, loud enough only for Newgate to hear, "go aboard and meet him."
Newgate doesn't usually take orders from anyone but himself, but he was planning to do so as it is, so he does what the Reaper said. As soon as the ship is lying alongside Roger's ship someone close to the railing puts down a gangplank, but no one crosses it until Newgate does. Not until he has stepped foot on deck do his sons and daughters follow, Ace taking the lead of the crowd as they run, jump, leap, whoop and holler.
His children start rushing across the deck, eager to reacquaint themselves with the ship after different amount of time spent away. Whitebeard himself heads for the prow. What he expects to find is the big wheel free, clear for use, but that is not what he does find. By the wheel stands the figure of a man, dressed in a light raincoat with a hammer sticking out of one fo the big pockets. The figure turns his head to Newgate when he hears his approach, looking up at him.
"Hello, Captain," he smirks up at the taller man.
"Moby Dick," Newgate acknowledges, surprised.
"You don't mind if I rejoin the crew, do you?"
"Welcome to the family," Newgate answers with a grin and Moby Dick grins back.
"To the high seas?" he asks, placing both hands on the steering wheel. Newgate chuckles, stepping up to the railing over-looking the main deck.
"My children," he calls, immediately gaining their attention, "Set sail, we're heading into new waters!"
Every single man and woman on board cheer, throwing their hands, hats and various other effects into the air in celebration. Two dozen of them start climbing the rigging to ready the sail and others do their job from deck. Soon enough the ship starts moving and some of them move closer to the railing facing Roger's ship.
"See ya around, Roger," Newgate calls across the space.
"You better hope you do, Eddie!" Roger calls back, waving his hand in temporary goodbye. It wouldn't surprise Whitebeard if the man decides to visit within a few weeks.
AN: Is everyone having a good summer holiday? I hope you are. I promise that I will answer your reviwes. Someday. Promise.
For my lovely guests~
Anne: I'm very glad you like it! I did consider doing both Aokiji and Coby but in the end decided not to, sorry! I've known from the beginning that I won't do Akainu for the same reason that I won't do Blackbeard (I've explained why at the end of Dadan's chapter in case you're interested). Neither will I do Perona (again, SORRY!) because I feel like I don't know her very well as a character and don't really know what to do with her anyways xD Yes! Finally I can give you a positive answer! Luffy will meet his mother in a bonus chapter called 'Reunion of the Monkeys', and they get to interact for a little bit. Never apologise for asking questions! It's the best thing you can do to learn and it's a great compliment to anauthor because it lets us know that you're interested in the story. Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Thanks for reading!
Next up: Bonus of Nami