So it's been a while since I have uploaded a chapter. I think it's been like 8 months since the last update. Though that was kinda expected that I wouldn't be able to have the free time to write this story since I'm currently attending college which I already was awful at and Covid-19 did not help. Though some good news I have been working on the other chapters. I currently have chapter 12 and chapter 13 already written and half of chapter 11. So I just need to write chapter 10 and finish 11 and hopefully, that won't take too long. In the beginning, I said that I didn't know how long this fic was going to be and I still don't but I do have up to chapter 22 planned out with ideas on how to continue it from there. If you all want I can upload the chapter plans but they kinda explain what exactly will happen in those chapters and may end up changing depending on how things go. Anyways enjoy

Chapter Nine Roger's Visit

Rose and Izo were sitting up in the crow's nest looking out over the sea.

"Izo?" Rose asked.

"Yes, sweetie?" Izo answered, glancing at her from the corners of his eyes.

"What's the next island going to be like?"

"It's a winter island. Ah, that reminds me I need to finish up the coats I was making for you."

"What's a winter island like?"

"Hmmm...Well, to start off with, they are usually freezing and almost constantly snowing. But you can still have lots of fun there."

"Oh, like what?" Rose asked excitedly as she turned to look at Izo.

"Well, we usually start by making some snowmen and snow angels before Thatch or someone under him tosses a snowball, and then it becomes an all-out war, it's fun though. We usually settle down after a long and, the 4th Divisions get to work distributing hot chocolate out to the crew." Izo explained a fond smile present on his face.

"That sounds like fun! I can't wait to do that!" Rose shouted excitedly.

Izo smiled and ruffled her hair. "Why don't you go and find Pops and get a story or something? It's probably not that interesting sitting up here with me."

"Okay," Rose said as she scampered down the ladder to the main deck. As it was the middle of the day not too many were free and able to play with her, but that was okay because Pops was always able to tell her a story if she asked. However, when she ran up to Pops chair he was arguing with the nurses who were trying to get him to put down his drink.

"Wahahaha. I'm glad to see even in his old age he is still as stubborn as he was when he was younger." An unfamiliar voice said next to Rose.

Rose looked next to her to see a tall man in a red captain coat with a very strange mustache. She wasn't too surprised to see him there since he would often visit her pops and would talk about their past together. She never tried to listen in too much because Mama said that it was rude to eavesdrop on people.

"Hello, there sir," Rose said.

"Hello, there child." The man said cheerfully.

"My name is Rose what's your name, sir?" Rose said as she moved to sit on the railing of the ship.

"Wahahaha you sit there and listen to stories of me yet you don't even know who I am?" The man said as he moved to sit next to her on the railing watching the sea.

Rose shook her head no and studied him closer, racking her brain to find out who this man could be.

"Well child, my name is Gol D. Roger." He said as he turned to look at her with a smile that was as bright as the sun.

Rose gasped loudly and almost fell into the sea when she quickly moved to face Roger. "You're THE Gol D. Roger! I can't believe that I get to meet you! Pops has told me so many stories about you! You most definitely have to be my favorite pirate! Well actually Pops is my favorite pirate...and then there is the rest of the crew too...You're my favorite non - Whitebeard pirate! Ah, but then there is Shanks and his crew…Ah well you're a pirate who I highly admire." Rose said, returning her own smile to Roger.

Roger chuckled, "Well thank you little one for at least admiring me. I wish my own son liked me as much as you did."

"Wait, son?" Rose said tilting her head to the side confused.

Roger nodded and glanced back out towards the sea. There was a moment of silence before Roger twirled his mustache and turned back towards Rose.

"That is one thing that Newgate will never be able to tell you about. My sweet son Gol D. Ace…. though he goes by his mother's maiden name Portgas. Not that I mind all that much what name he goes by. In fact, I'm kind of glad his hatred towards me has one good thing to it and that is he tries so hard not to associate with me so the chances of him being known as my son are slim to none. I'm not quite sure if you understand what would happen to you if the World Government found out about your existence at all. I'm sure you could be passed off as Marco's child but even then the child of the first mate of Whitebeard? Or even your real identity as the child of Whitebeard himself. You would be hunted down just like the Devil child. She is barely fifteen and has been on the run from them since she was eight years old." Roger said solemnly.

"...I'm aware of what they would do to me… Mama made sure that I understood that no one could know the truth." Rose said seriously.

Roger watched her out of the corner of his eye before he gave a nod. "I'm glad that the boy has a good head on his shoulders. I knew him to be just as wild as my two cabin boys."

"You had cabin boys? Pops never mentioned them." Rose asked.

"I did. Well, they were younger than I would have liked I'm glad we had brought them aboard. They were a major part of our family and always kept us on our toes. You may have heard of one of them as he is currently a bit of a big shot right now. He hasn't changed much since he was a kid and is still a wild little scamp but he has a crew of his own and I have to say he is an amazing leader and I wish I could tell him how proud of him I am. Actually maybe next time Shanks stops by you can tell him exactly that for me." Roger looked Rose in the eyes silently asking for her to accept his request.

"I can't believe that Shanks was a cabin boy on your crew! That's so cool! I have to ask him about it next time I see him! Ah and I'll be sure to pass your message on to him the next time I see him too." Rose said as she smiled up at Roger.

"Thanks, kid. That would mean a lot to both of us." Roger said as he smiled slightly.

"Speaking of passing on messages can you tell me more about Ace?" Rose asked.

"Well, where should I start with that little scamp... Ah, how old are you?" Roger asked.

"I turned six just a few months ago," Rose said as she held up six fingers proudly to tell him.

"Ace is just a year older than you are, he turned seven on the first of January. He also is a bit of a wild child but I blame that on how Garp raised him. Or rather more on the lack of Garp raising him. That stupid bastard dropped my precious baby boy off with some random mountain bandits. How is he supposed to be brought up as a good person if he is being raised by those fuckers and he expects him to join the Marines as if that is going to protect him at all. Plus those stupid idiots told him that he is a 'monster child' just because I'm a 'monster' even though none of the stories he hears about me are even remotely true they are just lies and slanders spread by my enemies and the marines to make me out to be an awful person. He already has such a hard life and with all of this, he has such a negative image of his life and self-worth...I'm so worried that he won't even make it to adulthood with how reckless he is with his life… Wait! Maybe if he heard from someone who actually knew of me or at least stories of me and had a similar life he may live a better life!" Roger shouted excitedly as he turned to look at Rose.

Rose blinked slowly and tried to process what exactly Roger was asking of her.

"Are you asking me to be friends with Ace?" She asked unsure.

Roger nodded eagerly excited that someone could finally do that he himself could not do for his own blood.

"I don't know… I don't even know where he is or how to get to him. Plus what if he doesn't want to be friends with me? I mean he could see me as the enemy because even if our situation is the same you two were enemies so he may think I'm going to kill him or something." Rose said as she put her head in her hands thinking it over.

"Ah….I didn't think about that…. and you couldn't bring the Whitebeards to the island because then that island would be under investigation and that could lead to him being found… But you could ask Shanks! He isn't a Yonko just yet! So if he went to Dawn island then it wouldn't raise too many questions plus with Garp the main Marine who watches over that area he will be okay." Roger said thoughtfully.

"Why would a Marine not be a rat?" Rose asked thinking back to all of the times the crew had discussed their hatred and distrust of the Marines.

"Monkey D. Garp is different from other Marines. He has an actual sense of Justice and can realize when the Marines are doing horrible things. He tries his best to do things better but that doesn't always mean he does. Garp is known as the Hero of Marines because he took out Whitebeard's old Captain Rocks D. Xebec. He was an awful man that only cared to be the sole ruler of the land and own everything and wasn't afraid of killing people who got in his way. He was also a rival of mine at the time but he was much stronger than a younger me but Garp and I teamed up and were able to take him down. Obviously, the Marines made the media print in the news that Garp had been the sole fighter against Rocks but that's fine with me since I didn't care for the fame of it. Anyway because Garp was set on also taking me down so we formed a rival-like friendship that kept us each on our toes and kept us going. We were the closest kind of friends. In the end, I knew that he would agree that a kid shouldn't have to pay for their parents' sins so I trusted him with my kid." Roger told her.

Then as if an afterthought added, "Plus you didn't hear this from me but Garp has a son named Monkey D. Dragon. He is the head of the Revolutionary Army. A certainly noble cause that is meant to overturn the World Government. It wouldn't be my mug of beer but hey to each their own. But my point is that Dragon had a kid not too long ago. I believe the kid's name was Buffy or Luffy or something like that. My wife also likes to keep an on eye the kid so she knows more about him than me. Anyways Dragon also trusted his kid to Garp to keep him safe. So I know Garp is a good person and if you happened to tell him your lineage then he would also protect you too."

"Huh...I never thought that there could be other kids out there with the same problem as I do…. and all of our lives to seem to have started off so different…" Rose said as she watched the sea wondering about the two boys she had just learned about.

"I'm sure there are tons of kids out there who may or may not know about their 'cursed' blood. No one should face crimes that aren't their own. Everyone should be free and able to go and commit their own crimes, you know?" Roger said seriously.

Rose just blinked and nodded in slight understanding of Roger's rambling.

"Ah, there you are chickling. I have been looking all around the ship for you, yoi," Marco said as he picked her up and balanced her on his hip.

"Sorry I was talking to a new friend and listening to his requests," Rose explained to Marco.

"A new friend? Anybody, I would know?" Marco asked as he looked at the spot she was talking to as if someone would manifest.

Roger looked back at Marco and let out a chuckle and spoke, "To think the little spitfire that I used to know would be such a doting parent. It's actually really funny to see him like this."

"Hmm nope Mama. He is just a passing spirit is all." Rose said turning to smile at Marco.

"You know you don't have to fulfill every spirit's request that you come across chickling, yoi."

"I know. But I feel bad for those who have lingering regrets. Plus his requests are something that interests me a lot," Rose said.

"Well as long as you don't do something that puts you in danger or is out of your ability then you can try and help the spirits," Marco told her as he nodded towards where he thought the spirit was before he turned on his heel and walked to the kitchen.

Rose waved goodbye to Roger and in return, he waved goodbye before he vanished from her sight.