Little Princess
Summary: When Roger finds a baby girl in a treasure chest following God Valley, the Roger Pirates find themselves at a loss of what to call her. So, Roger does the best thing he could think of, let her name herself. Roger Pirate Era. Female!Shanks. Roger/Rayleigh.
Author's Note: Hey everyone and welcome to my new Female Shanks series! I've been dying to do one of these for a while, and I hope you enjoy this! I might throw canon out the window, but I'm not sure yet. For the moment, Shanks is the only genderbent character of this! I hope you enjoy!
Pairing: Gol D. Roger/Silvers Rayleigh
Warnings: Genderbend, Female Shanks, mentioned God Valley Incident, Accidental Baby Acquisition
Little Princess
The Roger Pirates had been left stumped following the battle of God Valley. The devastating fight that destroyed the entire island but the Roger Pirates – and Monkey D. Garp – stood on top. Roger had made away with a treasure chest that had been on the island, taking a form of compensation he would call it along with him.
It had shocked him even more that the second he opened it, it wasn't just gold he had found.
But a baby.
Maybe a year old from what he could tell.
Stormy doe eyes were looking back at him, filled to the brim with tears. Red hair that framed their little face in short waves. Roger had been so in shock that it had taken the baby giving out a cry for him to reach out and pick them up. Quickly soothing them the best that he could.
Well, this wasn't exactly what he thought would happen when he came to God Valley.
He just peered over his shoulder, looking over to Rayleigh with wide eyes as he shook his head, "We just accidentally became parents."
Rayleigh's jaw had dropped, eyes settling on the baby. "Uh, this is…"
"I'm keeping the baby." Roger immediately stated, curling his arm tighter around the baby as he gave a pout.
Rayleigh gave him a look, looking exhausted before he shook his head, wiping at his face. "Yes, because I absolutely was going to say something different." His voice was full of sarcasm, but Roger knew what he meant. Rayleigh also knew that once Roger's mind was made up, there was no changing it. Roger chuckled, walking forward as he bounced on his heels. Rayleigh almost immediately gave him a soft look, looking down at the baby in his arms. "You're a natural."
"Eh, I'm a pirate." Roger replied, "If I can dominate the Grand Line, I feel like I can take care of a baby." It was almost as soon as he finished talking, the baby let out a wail and a small fist started hitting at his face and pulling at his mustache. His face immediately broke out into a grin as he pulled the baby away. Holding them under the pits of their arms. "A little bit feisty, aren't you?"
If babies could glare, he was probably receiving one. He just gave a bigger smile as the baby started making noises at him. "We're going to need supplies and food for a baby, Roger." Rayleigh stated.
Roger shrugged, "We can get them at the next island." He replied, pulling the baby back to him as he looked back over to Rayleigh. "Besides, finders keepers, losers weepers. This is my baby now."
"They probably belong to someone." Rayleigh whispered. Roger sighed, looking back behind him from where they had left. God Valley was completely devastated. The people were alive, but the island was in shambles. They were evacuated by the Marines. There would be no sure way to find where this baby came from. On the other side, they were stuffed into a treasure chest. A treasure chest that they had stolen from Rocks. There could absolutely be chance that this baby was already an orphan. He turned back, looking at Rayleigh for a moment. The blonde gave him a soft smile, "I know." It was like Rayleigh had read his mind. "It's your call, Roger."
Roger looked down at the baby again, a soft smile back on his face. He already knew the answer.
"Welcome to the crew."
X
It had came to a shock to them all to discover that the baby was a girl. Roger would be honest with himself; he had no idea how to raise a girl. A boy would have been easy, but a girl? He didn't have much expertise in that department, but he was going to do his best to provide the best possible life for her. The others had quickly agreed with him.
On the next island, they had bought everything they needed. A crib, toys, clothes, you name it and they bought it. They paid no mind to expenses. Babies were expensive and they needed to make sure they had enough to cover everything that the baby would possibly need.
For the time being, they had been just calling her Princess. She had no name from what they knew. Of course, she had a name. They just didn't know it. They had searched the entire treasure chest to see if they could find any signs of anything that could maybe point to what her name was.
There was nothing.
Only a note that said Take care of my child. That had been stuffed inside of her outfit. There was no indication of who the baby's mother had been. If she was a Celestial Dragon? A pirate? A noble? They had no way of knowing. Just that this little girl was one of them now. It gave him even more incentive to make sure that she grew up with a good life. Even if it was a life of a pirate. They could go scouting for information. See if they could track down anything about where she had came from, but part of it felt futile. Like they would never find it. Only time would tell.
She was such a happy baby. Relatively on the quiet side that it made Roger concerned. Especially if he couldn't see her. He knew that the first time he took his eyes off of her, his heart had stopped, and the panic had set in before he saw her again.
It was a paternal instinct, and it was already incredibly strong.
She was his daughter, and he would fight to protect her for the rest of his life.
X
"She needs a name, Roger." Rayleigh stated one night, sitting on their shared bed as the baby played in his lap. Laying on her back, her little feet kicked up and hooked on Rayleigh's night shirt as she chewed on the fabric. "It's been two months."
Roger groaned, sitting crisscross with his face in his palms. "She needs a good name. One that is good for her." He stated, "Something powerful. In your face type of thing."
"It's not that hard to name a baby." Rayleigh replied, casting him a look. "We can't just call her Princess forever."
Roger grumbled, frowning, "Well, she's my Princess."
"Okay, Papa Bear." Rayleigh retorted.
Roger blinked, smirking as he drawled out, "Whatever you say, Mama Bear."
The blonde scowled, but there was soft smile on his face as he looked back down at the baby. "Why am I Mama Bear?!" He exclaimed, huffing as he let the baby's fingers curl around his his.
"Because you are probably going to be the one in charge of discipline." Roger replied, "I'm the fun parent."
Rayleigh didn't look happy about it, but there was a twinkle in his eye for a moment. "Because she already has you wrapped around her finger." The baby looked tired, fighting to keep her eyes open as Rayleigh kept her entertained for the time being.
Roger just shrugged, laying back as he moved on the conversation, "No name I can think of feels right."
"We'll talk more about it later." Rayleigh whispered, laying down next to him, pulling the baby up with him. Roger eyed him for a second as the blonde shrugged, "I never said she didn't have me wrapped around her finger either."
The Captain just laughed, leaning in, and pressing a kiss into the baby's head. Her head laying on Rayleigh's chest as sleep overtook her. A second later, he was moving and giving Rayleigh one as well. "Yeah, we'll figure her name out later."
X
Two more months had past of trying to figure out and settle on a name they all liked for the baby. No one could decide on one. Many names had been thrown out, and all of them had started to get vetoed by the another with each one. Just like Roger thought, it wasn't good enough. It wasn't fitting. Too girly. Too manly. Not right.
Finally, Roger had enough and placed the baby in front of him on the deck, sitting cross legged in front of her. "Alright, Princess, it's time to name you."
The baby just looked at him, tilting her head as she reached out for his hat. Roger sighed, pulling off the straw hat. She was intrigued with it. Loved it even. It was always the thing she wanted to touch aside from his mustache. He handed it over and she took it willingly, just holding it in her lap as she looked at him. She had a few toys around her, but the straw hat was the only thing she was interested in was his hat. Which was fine. She was his Princess after all.
"You are letting her decide?" Gaban questioned.
Roger nodded. "We can't decide." He replied, "So, we will let her."
"This isn't a good idea." Rayleigh mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. "What if she picks something just… wrong."
Roger laughed, waving his hand, "It will be fine. It will be her name anyway." The baby just made another sound, bouncing on her bottom for a second. "Well, let's see if what fate has to say."
"Ruby?" Gaban started.
The baby shook her head, pouting as she toyed with the straw hat. "That's a no." Taro chuckled.
"Scarlet?" Sunbell threw out.
Once again, the baby shook her head.
Roger frowned, "Rouge?" He said. Again, the baby frowned, shaking her head.
Rayleigh hummed for a moment, adding, "Sapphire?"
The baby girl almost looked like she was glaring as she shook her head. "You are not making this easy." Roger said. It almost felt like audacity that the baby girl started to laugh, throwing her hands around as she reached for another toy. A small toy knife. Probably not the smartest toy to give to a baby, but Roger liked it. It was cute. She looked cute with it pinned to her little outfit. He placed his hands up, chuckling. "What are you gonna do, Princess? Shank me?"
Then there was a moment. A moment that the baby girl was looking at him with wide eyes. Then the smile broke out on her face as she squealed, nodding, and clapping her hands. Dropping the little plastic knife.
Roger could only blink. What word was it that she reacted to?
He peered over, seeing the shock on Rayleigh's face. "Did she?"
Roger looked back at the little girl, tilting his head as he questioned, "Princess? We can't just keep that as your name, baby girl." She shook her head. He sighed, humming as he placed a finger on his chin. So, Princess wasn't the word she reacted to.
Then it hit him as his eyes fell on the plastic knife.
Shank me?
It couldn't possibly be that she reacted too? Shank? How can I turn that into a name? Is that even a good name for a little girl? A little boy maybe, but this is a little girl? Though, she is a pirate, and I did say she could pick her name. We could always call her something else later on, but if it's what she likes… I just have to think of something she might like. He monologued to himself, eyeing the baby girl for a second as a smile came to his face. Rayleigh was going to lose his mind. The little girl picked up the plastic knife again, swinging it around for a moment. Mimicking what she had seen both him and Rayleigh doing earlier that day.
He looked through the corner of his eye, seeing the look he was gaining from Rayleigh. "Roger, don't you—" Within seconds, the perfect name struck him.
Roger smirked, looking back at his little girl.
"Shanks."
It almost shocked him that he immediately saw her drop the plastic knife, bouncing again as she started clapping, a large smile on her face. Reaching for the straw hat again and this time, pulling it onto her own head. Giggling away as if she was the happiest she had ever been.
"Roger, you can't be serious!" Rayleigh exclaimed.
The shock had moved throughout the others, all of them saying that it wasn't the right name. That Shanks wasn't good enough for their Little Princess. "Captain! Please! Reconsider!"
"Captain—"
"Damnit, Roger." Rayleigh muttered.
There was a mixture of his nakama speaking that he didn't quite pick up because of how thrown together it sounded. He just ignored them in favor of seeing how happy the baby girl looked with her new name. It was perfect.
The baby girl was still giggling away as Roger stood up, scooping her off of the deck and placing her on his hip. "Shanks." He said again, looking at her again. Her face remained in a large toothy, grin, clapping again as she moved around. The excitement coming out of her. "It's settled than! Your name is Shanks!"
The baby—Shanks smiled, reaching up and holding the brim of his hat and tilting her head. Roger reached up, placing a hand on her back to stabilize her. "Dada." She muttered. Roger blinked, taken back as he looked over to Rayleigh.
"Did she—" He was in shock.
She hadn't started forming words, and suddenly that is the first audible sounding word she could make.
"Well, you did say she was your little princess." Rayleigh snickered. "And now she is stuck with that name. Really couldn't say anything better?"
"It's perfect." Roger stated, looking back at Shanks. "Shanks. It's a perfect name for a perfect little girl."
Shanks just continued to smile at him, reaching out again to twist her little hands in his facial hair again. She sure picked the most interesting thing that they had said. He couldn't wait to see what the future held for them.
And Shanks was going to be with them along the way, even if he didn't see this coming.
He did believe in destiny, and it was fate that brought her here.
