A/N~ EVERYBOOOODYYYYYY~! ROCK YOUR BOOOODYY~! ROCK YOUR BODY RIGHT! SESSHHY'S BACK, ALRIGHT!

I'm baaaaaaack! Explanations, GO!

I am. SO sorry. This took so long to get out. Like, literal ages. But I have a good excuse!

Back in February, I was made redundant with furlough pay until further notice. I was writing the chapter as well as notes for other fics I want to write in the future, and finally getting started on some animation practice.

My hard drive crashed the very next day. I lost everything on my pc, from fics to notes, pictures, music, my freaking C.V - EVERYTHING was gone, and unless I forked up a couple hundred pounds, I wouldn't get them back, assuming the files were even recoverable (is that a word? I'm making it a word.)

So for this whole time, I've not written or uploaded a single thing and got into a depressive rut over it. I've been reading every single one of your comments and they've helped SO MUCH, you have no idea, but I still felt so awful that I couldn't deliver. Then my dad, like the literal godsend he is, got it serviced for me last month. I was in TEARS. I was so happy!

I still lost everything, so it's back to the drawing board on a lot of things, but thank GOD I've already uploaded most of my fics to the point where I can pick up right where I left off with no issues! Everyone, thank my dad! He's the greatest thing ever!

Okay, last few things before we get into the chapter, and this is a big one: I'm shortening chapters from now on, just so I can get them out faster, and save you guys from reading over 15K and losing your attention span on needless exposition. Second, in the near future, I'll be moving all my fics to AO3. I'll still be posting here, but just because is so...messy, it'll be easier for people to find my content on a platform without ads and easier search (for the most part XD.)

OKAY. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO - CHAPTER 30! I LOVE EVERYONE WHO HAS STUCK WITH ME AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!

I OWN NOTHING.

Enjoy~!


Chapter 30

Rayleigh hears their approach long before he feels it.

Usually, it's the other way around, but considering how loud this bunch is, it's not surprising. Their Haki combined is strong, their presence overwhelming, but the noise from even one of them rivals that of an irritated bull.

Rayleigh chuckles with a lazy shake of his head and leans against the counter-top. He swirls the amber contents of his third drink of the afternoon idly. A man his age shouldn't be drinking as much as he does, or so he's been told, numerous times, by well-meaning folk blissfully ignorant of who they're talking to. But he's retired, now. Surely he can indulge now and then.

He was a pirate once upon a time. Old habits die hard.

Speaking of pirates, it's been a good while since this crew has happened by their less than humble abode. Rayleigh half wonders what mess they've gotten themselves into since their last visit that they feel the need to disrupt the relative peace once again. A glance with Shakky, wiping the counters and preparing the rum, lets him know she's thinking the same thing, but with a far fonder smile on her lips. She's got a soft spot for Edward's lot; she's known a few of them since they were cabin brats no older than Shanks was at that time- god, was he a tiny thing, with a fouler mouth than any sailor before even his first day aboard the Oro Jackson.

Hard to imagine that squirt would become an Emperor of the Sea.

His musings are interrupted by the front door creaking open, followed by yet more noise that shatters the peace Rayleigh had cherished – "Hey yo! Long time no see, Ray!"

Ah. Thatch. The loudest of the lot. How wonderful.

Rayleigh turns on his stool with a wry grin, raising his glass. "Hey yourself, brat," he says. The grin he gets in return is all cheek and cheer, and Rayleigh has to blink away the cursed image of two little devils bearing that same grin decades ago. He almost shivers.

Shakky lifts her head, barely-there wrinkles crinkling with her smile. "Hey there, Thatch-y," she croons, setting her elbow on the counter-top and her chin in her palm, coy and fond and inviting. "It certainly has been a while. You by yourself?"

"'Course not! I brought your favourite people with me!" Thatch steps aside with a dramatic sweep of his arm to reveal Izo and Marco, the former gliding across the floorboards with the practised grace any Fae would be proud of. The latter strides past the pair, a confidence in his step he hadn't possessed years ago, sleepy eyes bright.

Rayleigh has to grin, rising from his stool to clap a sturdy hand on the blond's shoulder. Shakky has already rounded the bar to pull a laughing Izo into a hug, granting the same to Thatch when he whines for attention like a needy pup. "Good to see you again, bird-brain," Rayleigh teases because he can't help himself, earning a roll of the eyes from the Phoenix. "How's the old man? Any luck on getting him to cut back on the booze?"

Marco snorts. "About as much luck as finding One Piece in a row-boat would be, yoi," he replies, clapping Rayleigh on the shoulder before plopping down on the nearest stool, sighing heavily. "We dropped anchor at Grove 41 this morning. Sorry for not calling ahead to warn you, we meant to. But we've had..." he pauses to groan, "quite the hectic morning."

Rayleigh sits back down and looks the younger man up and down, finally taking in his haggard appearance (more than usual, anyhow). He looks as though he's flown a marathon through a minefield. No injuries to show for it, but there's a weariness to him that's not often seen from the 'eldest' brother on a ship of pirates and a father who's laughter triggers tsunamis. "I can tell," Rayleigh says. Thatch and Izo come to sit on Marco's right, Shakky returning to the bar to prep their drinks. "I don't think I've ever seen the Phoenix of the Whitebeard Pirates this emotionally debilitated since his cabin boy days."

"Don't remind me, yoi." Marco slides a glare over at a chuckling Thatch, who at least has the grace to duck his head to hide his snickers. Izo does no such thing and stares at Marco directly, smirking.

Shakky slides three full glasses across the counter, then leans against it leisurely, regarding each of the pirates. "Well, let's not beat around the bush, then," she says. "Let's hear what trouble you've gotten yourselves into this time. We've got all day to kill."

Rayleigh decides not to draw attention to Thatch's quiet 'I bet you do,' because he does like Thatch. It'd be a shame if Shakky were to have to kill him.

Marco takes a swig of his rum (why he drinks when he can't even get tipsy, Rayleigh will never know, but he blames Edward's influence) and when he sets his glass back down, there's an exhausted but real smile on his face. "We've picked up some... potential recruits on our way here, yoi," he says. Shakky hums, excitement gleaming in her dark eyes. "They're on the young side - about my age when I joined, though the youngest is twelve-"

Rayleigh whistles. "That young, huh?"

"Don't even, you old fool," Izo says across the table, levelling Rayleigh with a Look. "Shanks and Buggy were at least six when they joined. You weren't the voice of reason then, so don't you start now."

Rayleigh raises his hands in submission. "I'm just saying. It's been a while since Edward recruited anyone that young, at least not since Haruta," he says, lowering his hands at Izo's satisfied nod. "How many?"

"Three," Thatch says, cheeks rosy with delight, and he's not even tipsy. "All boys- twelve, fifteen, and the eldest just turned sixteen." He sighs fondly, leaning back slightly on his stool. "They're good kids, Ray. Really good kids. They've had a... pretty rough time of it, but they've come a long way these last few months. Bet you'll love 'em, Shakky! Cheeky and adorable as they come."

Shakky's smile brightens, ever the soft soul for children. "As bad as you and Marco were?" she asks, ignoring Marco's indignant squawk.

Thatch's grin is decidedly devilish. "Worse. So much worse." Shakky matches the man's grin. Rayleigh fears for his immediate future.

While his wife and the chef go back and forth with tales of these new troublemakers with Izo dipping in with the odd comment, Rayleigh turns to Marco. He probably should be listening in to prepare himself should they stop by. But Rayleigh has questions. Questions only the Phoenix beside him can answer, or at least Rayleigh hopes. The brat is as tight-lipped as they come at the best and worst of times.

"So," he says. Marco turns to face him, brow raised. "What exactly does a 'rough time of it' mean? Or do I have to guess?"

Marco sets his empty cup down, meets his gaze steadily.

Rayleigh's known this brat longer than most. He knows his tells and ticks, knows where to look and just how far to push. So he's not surprised when the mask finally cracks with a barely-there twitch of his left eye.

But he can't deny the twinge of sorrow and old fury in his heart when he sees what lies behind that mask.

Rayleigh hides a scowl behind the rim of his glass as he takes a swig of it, not wanting to spoil the cheer going strong in the corner of the room. "Where?" he asks instead.

Marco hesitates, but only for a moment. He shrugs. "You ever hear about what happened on Garnet Island?" he asks. Rayleigh nods. Something dark settles deep in the Phoenix's blue eye. "Let's just say they're down one King and are in for a good few years of repairs."

A grin worms its way across Rayleigh's wrinkled features, grimly satisfied. "I see. Bay's doing, right?"

"She was closest, yoi. Made it there in record time with the help of Impact dials. She was pissed."

"I can imagine. And you said they've yet to join the crew? Why's that?"

At that, Marco's expression twists into something conflicted. He taps a finger against his glass, brows furrowed. "… you know what it's like, yoi. For people... after," he says, eyes down. "You should've seen them, Rayleigh. They didn't trust anybody, more willing to fight to the death or get on their knees and beg for mercy."

Rayleigh can't quite fight a wince. "That bad, huh?

Marco nods, lips pursed grimly. "It's only recently that we've helped them break those habits. It's been a ride and a half with a rough start to boot, but we've made progress. They're happier now. We've helped. And we'll keep helping, yoi..."

Rayleigh leans forward. "But...?"

Marco looks at him. Rayleigh just raises a brow, waiting. Marco relents with a sigh, long and tired. "We've made it clear that we won't keep them where they don't want to be," he says. "We've given them the option to stay or leave whenever they please. This is our last stop before we set off for the New World, and once we leave we can't turn back for anything, yoi. The boys have to choose by then..."

Rayleigh regards Marco for a moment. Then he smiles. "Ah. You don't want them to leave," he says, "but you don't want to cage them again, intentionally or not."

Marco huffs something that sounds like a laugh and a sigh. "They've had plenty of chances to leave so far, but they've chosen to stay," he says around a smile, small but bright and hopeful.

Good lord, Rayleigh thinks with no shortage of amusement. You've fallen hard. One can only imagine what Edward's feeling.

He chuckles. "Yep, been there before. Never gets any easier. I assume you've had this conversation, but at the end of the day, you do what's best for them. Not what you think is best."

Marco drains the last of his drink at a speed that would make lesser men wince. "Yeah. I know, yoi."

(It only occurs to Rayleigh now that he has no right to be lecturing Marco, of all people, on this subject. He understands better than most. Rayleigh only knows what he's seen and heard. Of all the rottenness he's seen and fared through on this cruel bitch of a world, he's been spared from that fate. Some aren't so lucky.)

Rather than linger on that depressing train of thought, Rayleigh changes the subject. "So, when do I get to meet the little rascals that have the Strongest Man in the World wrapped around their little fingers?" he asks.

That earns him a chuckle from Marco and garners the attention of the other Commanders and Shakky. "Not too long, now," Izo replies, arms folded into his robes. "The Commanders drew straws for who would chaperone the dears for the day. They should be finishing lunch right about now." Then he chuckles, dark and satisfied in a manner Rayleigh knows well enough to be wary of. "Pretty sure Haruta, Jiru, Jozu, and Rakuyo are none too pleased to being forced onto every roller-coaster in Sabaody park."

Thatch throws his head back and cackles like a madman, slapping the counter hard enough to rattle the glasses. Rayleigh looks at each of them and decides against asking whether or not those results were rigged; Izo's cat-like grin and Marco's sleepy glare says it all and more.

The old man shakes his head with a long, long sigh, turning to Shakky. The woman meets his gaze with a secret smile. 'You know you like them' it reads. And damn it to hell, she's right.

It's hardly a secret that Whitebeard's bunch and Roger's were friendly enough back in the day, though they still came to blows whenever the idiot captains felt the need to blow off steam, show the other up, or in Roger's case on one occasion, to impress. Didn't work nearly as well as he'd hoped, but everyone else got a laugh at his misfortune.

Nothing's changed much since, even after the Pirate King's passing, the crew disbanding, time catching up to those who'd foolishly believed they'd had so much of it. The days of the Dark King are over, but Rayleigh will still trudge across the groves to sit and drink with Edward in the cosy if not cramped confines of the old man's cabin, sharing tales they've heard a thousand times over because they never get old. Shakky will keep the bar open long into the night to house whichever rowdy group of pirates decides to park their arses on every available surface and drink till they can't stand. Marco will bring them up to date with their latest catastrophe, Thatch will offer to help behind the bar, Jozu and Blenheim will offer to help with repairs, Haruta might do a run for groceries...

Yeah, Rayleigh likes these idiots. More than he cares to admit.

He'll always miss the old times; when a fifteen-year-old Marco would challenge the Dark King to a one-on-one and end up on his ass, when Roger would proudly boast about the beauty of Batarilla who'd whacked him with a frying pan the day they met, how often their brawls ended with drinks and laughter and bloody gift exchanges...

But this odd domesticity they have now isn't so bad, either. Even if it means sacrificing the peace every once in a while.

"So," Shakky says once Thatch's hollering dies down, and she plucks their empty glasses off the counter to wash. "Do these boys have names?"

Thatch blinks at her dumbly, then smacks his forehead. "Oh duh, my bad. Yeah, they have names. Ace is the oldest, black hair, a face full of freckles and the scariest silver eyes I've freakin' seen, but only when he's pissed off, otherwise he's pretty much a sweetheart-"

Rayleigh doesn't realize how tight he's gripping his glass until his hand starts to cramp from the strain. He forces himself to relax, let out a breath when both Marco and Shakky cast him curious glances warring with concern. He offers a tight smile that he hopes is reassuring and takes another sip of his drink.

Coincidence. Just pure coincidence.

Thatch is still talking. "Sabo is the middle kid, blond hair, blue eyes, and a wicked streak a mile wide-do not let that smile fool you, that kid is a freakin' little demon when he wants to be. Oh, and then there's Luffy-"

Rayleigh chokes on his drink. Marco leaps to his feet and pounds an open palm on his back as he splutters. Shakky drops a glass, shattered glass sliding across the floorboards.

No. No way. There is no way in hell the world is that small.

"Whoa there! You good over there, Ray?" Thatch is halfway off his stool, brows pinched with concern, and hands outstretched to help. Izo's already behind the bar, on his knees, plucking up glass shards with Shakky. Rayleigh looks at him, looks at Marco, eyes wide-

"Did – did you say Luffy?" he asks and begs for this to not be a coincidence.

Thatch's eyes go comically wide. Izo's head shoots up from behind the bar to stare at Rayleigh.

Marco sighs and hangs his head. "Oh my god," he groans. "You too, yoi?"


0o0o0


Ace admits he still had lingering reservations about this whole thing. Several.

Sabaody is huge; easily dwarfing Dawn Island, dwarfing that place, dwarfing everything in every possible way from the buildings to the trees themselves with roots diving deep, deep into the ocean. It's beyond anything Ace could have imagined, beautiful and grand. And with such a huge island, the last stop before the New World, Ace wasn't surprised to see dozens upon dozens of ships moored nearby to where the Whitebeard's have dropped anchor.

Ships meant people. Lots of people. People meant crowds. Big crowds.

Ace and his brothers don't do big crowds.

Hanging around the Whitebeard's ship had been one thing, at least in the beginning. It's been long enough that they've grown used to the noise, the occasional touching, be it accidental or casual (or doting, let's not forget that). Ace can safely–privately– say that he might even like it. But to willingly go to a place filled to the brim with not just civilians but other crews, other pirates, criminals, and Marines all in one place? Nothing short of daunting.

Most of Ace's fears are put to rest when Haruta, Jiru, Jozu, and Rakuyo are assigned to join them on their tour of Sabaody's amusement park; having a handful of Whitebeard's strongest Commanders nearby should be enough to ward anyone off.

Alright. One problem solved.

Sabo and Luffy had quickly dashed any other problems the moment they stepped foot into the park, grabbing Ace by each arm and dashing headlong into the crowds, grinning, and laughing outright. Ace, baffled and proud, had stumbled on after them.

Well, then. He underestimated his little brothers; their strength, bravery, and unquenchable excitement know no bounds.

(Ace could stand to learn a thing or two from them.)

The first half of the day was as hectic as one would expect. Luffy wanted to eat everything- Haruta had nearly let him- and go on every ride immediately after, no matter how imposing (or reality-defying) it looked. Ace felt sick just looking at the roller-coaster, all the loops and drops, and the height-

"What's the matter, Ace?" Sabo sing-songs beside him, a glint in his eye that spells the start of a disaster. "You're not scared, are you? Not gonna back out of our bet, are you?"

And Ace, knowing what Sabo's trying to do, knowing he's going to regret everything ever in his life, rises to the bait. He grins back, shoving Sabo into a giggling Luffy. "In your dreams. Get ready to piss your pants and cough up the cash, 'Bo."

Half an hour later sees both Ace and Sabo face first in the grass, legs trembling, throats raw from screaming and vomiting into trash cans, pride trampled, and a couple Bellie's poorer. Luffy cackles and cradles his spoils in his arms like they're the One Piece itself. The Commanders, sans Haruta, are no different from the twins, eyes spinning, legs like jelly, and eyes haunted.

"Never again," Rakuyo groans, wiping a hand over his sweaty brow, "never, ever again."

"Seconded," Jiru says.

"Thirded," Jozu says.

"Pussies," Haruta chimes. Everyone but Luffy flips him off.

Once they recover, Luffy has enough mercy in him to suggest a calmer ride; the towering Ferris wheel that can be seen from all over the park. Ace once more has reservations about riding inside a bubble- Izo had explained what he could about the bubbles that were secreted from the ground, but Ace had barely listened, too busy laughing his ass off when Luffy had climbed inside one and nearly floated away, Sabo screeching as he chased after the giggling moron.

But once they board, those reservations disappear.

Ace has never been this high up before. Not in their tree-house back on Dawn, not even on the Moby whenever he has to wrangle Sabo from the rigging. He understands, now, why Sabo prefers the heights; it's beautiful up here, suspended in the air as if they're floating, looking over the ant-like masses of humanity from a seat above the clouds.

Resting his chin in his palm, Ace stares out of their transparent gondola, taking in the view. Sabo has an arm around Luffy's shoulders, pointing out all the different landmarks they've yet to visit, Luffy eagerly nodding along and signing something back. They wave down at the Whitebeard Commanders, watching them go up from a hundred feet below.

Ace watches them and smiles.

Yeah, he thinks, I could get used to this.

Eventually, the Commanders rally the boys to meet up with Marco, Thatch, and Izo at another Grove where a close friend of theirs lives. It's a bar sitting at the top of a steep hill, steeper stairs leading up to it, and Ace swears someone is out to get him today. He'd lost his lunch, his money, and now he's about to lose whatever water he has left in his body through sweat as he, the Commanders, and Sabo, carrying Luffy on his back, plod up the steps to the bar.

"Dear God," Ace pants, flopping to the grass in a graceless heap once they finally reach the top of the hill. "Who the hell builds a bar on top of a goddamned hill? What bastards? What monsters?"

"I'll do you one better-" Sabo shifts Luffy off of his back, and drops him onto Ace, "-what kind of whiny bastard complains about stairs while someone else carries your little brother the whole way up?"

Ace wheezes at the added rubber weight and glares up at Sabo over Luffy's head. "After sundown, he's your little brother."

Sabo glares back. "I'll fight you."

"I'll belt you. Besides, 's not like Lu's heavy, what're you bitchin' about?"

"I'm bitching because I had to carry him-!"

"You could'a said no!"

Sabo gestures wildly at Luffy while staring Ace down like he's ready to murder him. "Have you met Luffy?" he exclaims.

Ace lifts his head the same time Luffy does, and their eyes meet- oh, yeah, no, no way Ace could've denied those eyes. Not now that Luffy knows he can weaponize them. "...true," he concedes.

"Thank you!"

"Alright, you three," Jozu chuckles, grabbing Luffy by the back of the shirt like a pup and lifting him off the ground, allowing Ace to stand and dust himself off. Luffy idly kicks his dangling feet and grins up at Jozu. The pirate smirks back before setting the boy down next to Sabo, who automatically wraps an arm around him. "Settle down, now. Rayleigh's a patient man, but it's been a while since he's been around rowdy kids. Try not to spook him."

The smile freezes on Ace's face, and it feels like someone dumped ice-water over his head.

Rayleigh. Did– did he just –?

No, no way, it can't be. It has to be a coincidence, the world can't possibly be that small.

Then again, they boarded Whitebeard's ship by chance. They met Shanks and his crew on a deserted island by chance. What are the odds that he'll run into the Dark King himself, his fathers' right-hand man, in this rundown bar at the end of the Grand Line?

"Heyo, Rayleigh!" Haruta hollers as he bursts through the front door first. Ace and his brothers follow in after him, and-

Yep. The world really is that small.

One look and Ace knows. It's him. Older, greyer, wrinkled with age, but there's no denying the old man sitting at the bar is Silvers Rayleigh. The right hand of the Pirate King himself.

But that's not what sends shivers down his spine; not his reputation, nor the power he can feel flowing off the man like an invisible miasma, filling the air and Ace's senses.

What sends shivers down his spine is the fact the Rayleigh's staring straight at Ace, straight through Ace, ignoring the loud greetings and laughter of the pirates around them.

Sharp eyes glint behind the wireframes of his glasses, and his lips curl upwards.

He knows.

Sabo and Luffy, ever insightful, dutifully scoot closer to Ace on both sides at his unease, warily glancing at the old man. He just grins wider. Ace can't tell whether that's a good sign or not.

Izo, Marco, and Thatch are seated at the bar, greeting and teasing their ship brothers upon entry. A beautiful woman is standing behind the counter, her dark eyes falling on the young trio. Her smile broadens around a cigarette. "Well, hello there," she says, her voice smooth as spider silk. "You must be Whitebeard's newest troublemakers. We've heard so much about you."

Ace feels his face heat up, sweat gathering at his brow, and catches Sabo's doing the same. The pair lock panicked gazes.

Oh no. Is this puberty again?

As if reading their thoughts, the lady (and half the pirates, like the bastards they are) laughs. "Come on now, no need to be shy. Come over here, I'll get you some drinks. Have you eaten already?"

The trio moves like a six-legged beast to sit at the bar, Luffy between his older brothers; Ace takes a seat a stool away from Rayleigh. "U-Um, yes, ma'am," he replies, to which the lady blinks at him in pleasant surprise.

"Well well, Thatch was right. You are a polite one." She winks at Ace, and oh no, please, Ace isn't strong enough for this, someone please help him- "You can call me Shakky. Ma'am makes me feel old. You must be Ace, then?"

Ace stubbornly ignores the impish giggles of the adults behind him and nods, freckled cheeks rosy with little he can do to hide them. "Er, yes. That's me. It's nice to meet you, Shakky," he ducks his head once. Sabo and Luffy snicker at him, and Ace toys with the idea of setting them both on fire.

Shakky sets down three glasses of some kind of juice in front of them and then leans against the counter. "I thought so. So that makes blondie over here Sabo," she cocks her head to the other teen in question, and now his face goes pink, which he tries and fails to hide behind his glass as he takes a drink, "and that makes the little cutie in the middle...?"

Luffy sets down his glass to sign with a grin, 'I'm L-U-F-F-Y! Nice to meet you! My brothers think you're pretty.'

"LUFFY WHAT THE HELL?" Ace screeches, halfway off his stool to grab the little idiot and shake him like a doll. Sabo chokes on his juice. The pirates are losing their minds, Rayleigh is cackling, and Marco and Shakky are chuckling. Luffy cackles with them. "I swear to god I'm killing you when we get home," Ace snarls, smoke drifting lazily off his shoulders, "you little bastard, for someone who doesn't talk, you've got the biggest effin' mouth-!"

"Alright, that's enough outta you lot, yoi," Marco gets up from his stool and extracts Luffy from Ace's grip. One raised brow from the Phoenix has Ace grumpily plopping back into his seat and taking an angry swig of his juice. Marco sets Luffy back in his chair with a chiding tap on the head. He claps Sabo on the shoulder in silent query; still coughing, Sabo gives the first mate a thumbs up. Marco nods and lets him go, stepping back. "Good. Now that's out of the way, I believe Rayleigh has something to say to Luffy."

The trio pause at that, blinking at Marco and then turning to Rayleigh. Something to say to Luffy? Not Ace?

The old man notes their surprise and chuckles. "Easy there, fellas," he says. "Trust me, there's nothing for you to worry about. I'm just glad whatever forces at work in this crazy world brought you here of all places."

Yeah, no kidding, Ace inwardly grumbles.

Rayleigh rests an elbow atop the bar. He looks straight at Luffy. Luffy blankly stares back.

"That straw hat you wear," he says, "it suits you. Even if it'll be a few years yet before you grow into it. Still, it's an honour to meet you, Monkey D. Luffy."

What.

Ace freezes. Sabo splutters again. Luffy stares at Rayleigh, brown eyes far more alert.

The pirates fall silent, all eyes falling on Luffy. You could drop a penny, and the sound would echo.

"... Monkey?" Thatch says, breaking the silence. His brows knit together, a finger tapping his chin in thought. "Monkey, Monkey, where have I heard that name before-?"

His eyes pop open, realization dawning on him the same time it hits his fellow Commanders. Sweat pours down his rapidly paling face, even as his lips split into a wide, trembling smile as he slowly looks at Luffy.

"H-H-Hey, little Loof," he stammers, voice breaking several octaves, laying a trembling hand on Luffy's shoulder. The boy in question turns to face him. "You- you wouldn't happen t-t-to be related to- to Monkey D. Garp, would you? Or is that just a happy little coincidence because if it is that'll be a huge freakin' relief like you have no idea-"

'I am,' Luffy signs. 'He's my grandfather.'

A pause.

"Mary, Joseph, Mother of God on high!" Thatch cries, falling to his knees in despair, hands fisted in his outrageous hair. Izo, Jozu, and Rakuyo all look as though they've stared Death in the face. Haruta is cackling. Jiru is banging his head against the wall. Marco... Marco looks done. Like if he could drink himself into oblivion, he would. Poor bastard.

Rayleigh looks at them all in a mixture of amusement and confusion. "What? Don't tell me you didn't know."

"No!" Thatch wails, still on the floor.

"Didn't Whitebeard tell you?"

"No, he freakin' didn't! He doesn't tell us anything—oh my god, did he not tell us on purpose? Was he just gonna wait 'till Garp tracked our asses down and let us piss our pants? For frick's sake! Damn you, Edward Newgaaaaate!" He shakes his fist at the ceiling as if cursing the gods and their Captain. Haruta laughs harder.

"Not only that," Izo adds, folding his arms into his sleeves, "but the boys never told us their last names. We assumed they wanted to keep that information private or figured it didn't matter. We respected their decision, but I must admit..."

He glides over to Luffy and pinches his cheek, smiling sweetly, though Ace can see a vein bulging. "It might have been a good idea to mention that your grandfather just happens to be a particularly irksome Marine Vice Admiral, Luffy dear."

Cheek stretching beyond human limits, Luffy beams, a little bashful, signing for 'sorry' over and over until Izo lets the rubber flesh go with a snap. Sabo leans back a bit to catch him when he nearly teeters off the stool.

"Wait, wait one effin' second!" Thatch scrambles to his feet, pointing at Ace and Sabo with a shaking finger. "You three are brothers, right? Does that mean he's your grandfather, too?!"

Ace and Sabo share a glance. "We're adopted," they say in unison.

"Oh. Really?" Thatch blinks. "Funny, I don't remember you saying you were."

"We didn't. Guess most of you just assumed we were related," Ace shrugs. "Makes no difference to us. Blood or not, we're still brothers. Garp took me in after my parents died."

He resolutely doesn't look at Rayleigh. He doesn't.

Sabo swings his legs back and forth like a little kid. Luffy looks down at his legs and mimics him. "I lived alone in the forest until I was five," Sabo says. "Garp saw me with Ace and Luffy once and decided I was his."

Thatch stares at Sabo flatly. Izo, Jozu, Rakuyo, Jiru, and Marco all stare at Sabo flatly. Sabo meets each of their gazes and beams with all the cheek he can muster.

Thatch claps his hands together once, as if in prayer, and takes a deep, deep breath. "Okay," he says. "Okay," he says again. "We're, ah- we're just gonna put a pin in that there conversation for now. I'm going back to the ship to scream into a pillow for a hundred years and then get started on dinner. Ray, Shakk, you're welcome to join us. The rest of you, either come help me gather what's left of my sanity and dinner prep, or bring the kids whenever you're ready."

He then turns neatly on his heel and walks right out the door without another word. Everyone watches him go.

Jiru and Jozu share a look that speaks volumes. "We'd better follow," Jiru says. Jozu nods with a grunt, and with a wave at the older couple, they hurry out the door after the broken chef. Haruta is wheezing. Rakuyo shakes his head with a weary groan and drags the fool out of the bar with him with the excuse that he needs one of Pops' stronger drinks.

After a brief pause, Luffy reaches for Marco's sleeve and tugs twice. 'Are they mad at us?' he signs.

Marco's eyes soften-because that's what Luffy does to people-and he tousles his hair. "No, kid, they're not mad at you, yoi. It's just... Garp can be a lot to deal with. The fact that you three have a connection to him and a powerful Emperor is, to put it mildly-"

"A complete and total mindfrick?"

"... yes, Sabo. Let's go with that."

Rayleigh throws his head back with a cackle. Shakky watches everything unravel with a cigarette between her smile. Izo presses his fingers against his temple and prays for patience. Sabo sits back and revels in the chaos. Luffy blinks, bewildered and lost, still clinging to Marco's shirt. Ace wonders how on earth the initial conversation got away from them so quickly at a persons' last name.

He also wonders if they'll be nearly as kind to hear Ace's true name...

"Alright," Rayleigh says, evidently done laughing, and stands up. "Now, I'd like to get to know you three a little better. That dinner invite doesn't sound too bad, so why don't we take this to the Moby. Shakky?"

"Fine by me." Shakky rounds the bar and puts her cigarette out in a nearby ashtray, looping one arm through Izo's. "I needed to stretch my legs. And Izo promised me a manicure." The two share a smile. Ace tries not to shiver.

Luffy hops off his stool, taking Sabo's hand automatically as Sabo stands, following Marco, Shakky and Izo to the door. Ace moves to follow at the rear-

A hand comes to rest on Ace's shoulder, halting him. He follows the arm up to meet Rayleigh's gaze. It's softer, now, his smile bearing nothing but fondness for a time and place (and a person, people) long gone.

Ace swallows. There's no trace of malice in this man, nothing to give Ace any reason to be wary. The way he looks at Ace, the disbelief, the awe, and relief he can feel with a brush of his Haki tells him that he's safe. But every decade-old instinct in him pleads with him to run.

"This goes without saying," the old pirate says, "but I'd like to have a word with you too, Ace."

Ace stares at him. Rayleigh stares back, unwavering.

Oh, what the hell.

Ace throws his hands up. "Sure. Fine. Whatever, I don't care," he says, noting the surprised look on Rayleigh's face. Ace plasters a wide, thoroughly fake smile on his face and throws his arms up a second time. "Let's get this over with already so I can eat my weight in meat, pass the hell out and regret everything ever in my life the next morning. Why the hell not?"

A beat. Rayleigh gapes at Ace. Ace keeps smiling and pours every ounce of irritation into it, hoping the old fart can feel it.

And then- "Well, damn. Guess I was way off the mark," Rayleigh chuckles, leading Ace to the door where Shakky is waiting to lock up for the evening. His hand is steady on Ace's shoulder, and his smile is warm and fond. "You're your mother's son, for sure."

Ace does a double-take, eyes wide.

Wait. What?


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(also get Grammarly. It'll save your life.)