I'd been wanting to write about Portgas D. Rouge for such a long time now and this has gotten me excited. I do have a lot of projects (including writing my own book 'The Wardens of Strar') going on right now so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this but I'm so happy to finally be started on it.

Hope you all enjoy it!

(The Beginning AU)

The sun was shining and the seas were bright blue, calling to those awaiting adventure, enticingly them to join it, to sail upon it's waves. Rouge grinned, she had spent all her life on Baterilla, knew it's lands like the back of her hand. The forests, the cities, the shores, they were all hers.

Now it was time to explore the open world before her.

She carefully placed her mother's hibiscus flower in her hair, and climbed into her ship. Her parents were retired now, living happily in their home deep within the forest and they would probably remain that way for the rest of their days.

Rouge couldn't do it though, not at the start of her life. She needed to explore, to sail upon the sea, to obey it's call.

So with a happy bout of laughter she pushed off, letting the water and wind carry her off. Her parents yelled their goodbyes and Rouge waved them off, Kari, her childhood friend, was at their side. They would be the only ones to know or care about her leaving.

Rouge was a loner by nature after all.

That was fine though, all she needed was adventure.

Although gold was nice too.

Rouge laughed. "Maybe I should just steal it off the pirates. I'm sure the Marines won't mind."

Two months later she had her first bounty after her ninety-ninth dine and dash. It was also the first time she ran into a future Pirate King, quite literally.

Not that either of them knew of that yet.

It had taken two days to finally lose the love struck moron.

.::.

Roger laid against the railing, whining.

"Stop whinging, Roger. She was always going to lose us with that speedy boat she's got," Rayleigh sighed. "How she's even survived in a small boat in the Grandline baffles me."

"But she's so beautiful! And fierce and clever and-"

"And stunning, amazing, bad ass- Yes Captain, she's the only thing you've talked about these past two days." Shanks teased. "You didn't even get her name. She gave you her food bill and fled while you stared after her. Jaw hanging and everything."

"Then you got caught by the chef and had to pay for all her food," Buggy chipped in.

"Worth it," Roger beamed. "Shanks, Buggy, that is what you call a goddess. That lady should have statues created of her! Paintings dedicated to her likeness! She is the kind of lady you fall in love with the moment you see her."

"She knocked you on your ass the first time you met her," Shanks laughed.

"I'll never forget it," Roger gushed.

"Then you're in luck. I have her Wanted Poster." Taro waved the poster. "It's brand new too."

They all jumped when Roger descended upon Taro, snatching the poster out his hands with almost greedy eyes. Rayleigh sighed, hopefully learning the young lady's name would finally put Roger off, the girl looked half his age too.

There would be no reason why she would be interested in him.

Roger lit up. "Portgas D. Rouge."

"She's a 'D'? Uh oh," Shanks winced.

"Not another one!" Buggy complained.

Rayleigh glanced over the Wanted Poster, seeing the grinning woman posing suggestively for the photo. Her eyes bright and her hair wild looking. It was the hibiscus that caught his attention though.

"Hibiscus Rouge. She seems to mainly be a thief." Taro explained. "She's been robbing pirates and doing dine and dashes."

"I'm keeping this." Roger grinned, hugging the Wanted Poster to his chest.

.::.

Rouge slammed her bottle of rum down. "5,000,000?! That's pathetic!"

She took a few deep gulps before shaking off her disappointment. A savage grin made it's way on to her face instead and Rouge laughed. "Well then, guess if they want to name me a pirate, I'll have to act like a proper one."