Every Princess Needs Her Crown

Summary: At five years old, Shanks receives a gift from Roger for standing up for herself. Female!Shanks. Roger Pirate Era. Roger/Rayleigh.

Author's Note: Hey everyone and welcome back to my Female Shanks series! I hope you are enjoying these! This can absolutely at this time be read as stand alones xD I do have Rayleigh and Roger being in a sort of open relationship so Ace can come into play later! Just a heads up xD anyway, on with the fic!

Warnings: Female Red-Haired Shanks, Canon Violence, just some teenagers being assholes, Hurt and Comfort

Every Princess Needs Her Crown

Having Shanks on their ship was like having a new light that engulfed them all. Their little girl had brought such joy to the ship. It had been four years since the day she was taken onto the ship, and honestly, Roger couldn't be happier. She was pretty much became the light of his life. He had so much going for him, now he also had a kid. A kid that he would call his own.

He would do anything for her.

She was starting to understand more. Learning very quickly for a child her age. He was so proud of her. Watching everything that she could do. It felt foreign raising a girl. He learned something new each day. He knew there would come a point where he would need a woman to help with some of the things, but he didn't want to see that day come. That meant that his little girl was getting bigger. He wanted her to stay small forever. The innocence that she showed despite knowing that she was surrounded by pirates.

It was something that he wanted to hold onto. He didn't want her to lose all of that because of the harshness of this world. She was going places. For now, she was happy and healthy, and he didn't want to see anything else happen to her.

She followed him around like a shadow, always curious about what he was doing. Roger would teach her everything. Not sparing details but holding back and making it to where it was more considerate for a small child. She wouldn't quite understand everything yet, but she would get there one day.

Even though he wanted her to stay this small, he knew there would be a day where she would grow up and turn from this blossoming little flower and bloom.

He just didn't know if he was prepared for that day.

X

Roger frowned as he moved the strands of red through his fingers, biting on his inner cheek as he thought of how he wanted to do the little girl's hair. This was not something he was good at. He didn't have the slightest idea of how to care for long hair. Shanks' hair was beautiful, and he absolutely didn't want to mess it up by doing something that would cause damage to it.

He huffed, blowing out air harshly from his lips as Shanks looked over her shoulder, her rose gold eyes casting him a look that he couldn't even explain.

"Captain, if you don't want to… it's okay." She muttered.

Roger shook his head, "It's not that, Princess. Just…"

"Don't know what you're doing?"

"Hey now, you don't have to call me out like that."

Roger sighed as he looked back to her hair, frowning for a moment. Trying to think of some of the hair styles that he had seen some of the women on islands have. Most pirate women didn't style their hair, but this was just a little girl. This was the type of thing that he assumed they wanted to do. Like dress up. Shanks did it often. Having fun trying on different styles of clothes. Roger wanted to give her a few hair styles to wear. Some for the dresses she had. Others for her more boyish clothes. Her hair was pretty long now. Falling past her shoulders. It was like a wavey, curl. It reminded him a lot of a friend's hair.

Honestly, he wanted to go to the South Blue where Portgas D. Rouge lived and ask her everything that he could possibly hoped to know about girls and women and general. He had a pretty good idea, but this was a bit different. Some of his nakama had longer hair, but they just wore it down or pulled it into a ponytail. Nothing special.

He had decided to go with a braid. It was something that he kind of knew how to do. He decided to do two of them. One on each side of her hair and pinned them in the back together. Shanks just sat quietly, letting Roger work on it. It was the bit of downtime that they had. Everything was done. No Marines in sight. No enemy pirates. Just leisure travels. They needed to stop at an island soon, get more supplies. They would be coming up on one within a few hours if he was correct. They would get them then.

"Hey, Captain." Shanks whispered. He hummed to let Shanks know he was listening, working to finish the first braid. "What's bi… eggs-ual?"

Roger practically choked on the air in his throat, eyes going wide as he turned to lean by the little girl. "Were you just trying to say bisexual?"

Shanks nodded, looking confused for a second. "What is it?"

Roger didn't know what to say. They haven't even spoken about sexuality yet. Let alone having that kind of talk with her. She was way too young for it. He sat back, continuing with her hair as he replied with, "Well, it means someone likes both men and women." Shanks made a noise for a second. "Why do you ask?"

"Gaban said you were a bieggsual mess."

Roger could almost laugh from how Shanks was pronouncing the word bisexual. He also made a mental note to tell the others to chill with the sex talk for a while. Though, he would agree with Gaban on that one. He loved and adored Rayleigh. Rayleigh was in fact his boyfriend, but they weren't just exclusive to each other. If they both found a woman they liked, they would both probably start a relationship with her. There was one that Roger had his eye on if he was being honest. Rayleigh had no problems with it, and neither did he. He knew there was a woman – Shakky, that Rayleigh really liked and had slept with a few times. Rayleigh still was his partner. His lover. Though, he would say they had an open relationship. It worked for them.

"Well, he's not wrong." Roger finally stated, moving onto the next braid. He stopped for a moment as he noticed that Shanks had crossed her arms and was pouting now. "What's wrong?"

Shanks turned her head, looking at him with the pout still on her face, "I thought that meant you liked all types of eggs."

Roger couldn't hold back the laughter as he snorted and shook his head. "No, Princess, that's something else entirely." He moved the conversation away from sexuality and onto something else as he started back up on her hair. He was determined to finish this.

X

He had been right about being close to another island. They were preparing to dock as Shanks came up to his side next to Rayleigh. She was walking slightly ahead of them, balancing with one foot in front of the other. Rayleigh was giving out some orders to those docking as Roger announced what they would be doing on the island.

Shanks was a bit ahead of them as they moved along. Going into town. He wanted to pick up a few more things for her while they were here. She was quickly growing, and her other clothes were getting a bit small.

One thing he had learned was: children are expensive.

When she was still just a baby, she was growing out of things like crazy. They could barely keep up. At least now, there was a bit of stability to her random growth spurts.

He could hear her humming as she walked along, looking around the town with a joyful look on her face. She didn't have a care in the world from the absolute mess that her hair was. Roger tried. It just didn't come out right.

"I can't believe you let her off of the ship with her hair like that." Rayleigh stated.

Roger cast him a look, sighing as he whispered, "Think you could have done better?"

"Absolutely." Rayleigh didn't even hesitate.

"Ouch." Roger mumbled, "Right in my pride."

Rayleigh chuckled for a second, lifting his hand up and patting him on the back, "It's okay, buddy."

Roger crinkled his nose. "Don't call me buddy. That's… weird."

As they browsed around, Roger paused at one of the stands, seeing a few headbands mixed in with some of the stuff. One of them almost looked like a little tiara. Not exactly like one but jeweled similar. Rayleigh slid up next to him whispering, "That's pretty."

Roger grinned, "A crown for our princess, Ray!" Roger exclaimed.

Rayleigh chuckled, shaking his head, "I don't think she would really care for a shiny piece of jewelry. She's five."

"It's cute. You said so yourself!" Roger rebutted.

"Well, buy it then!" Rayleigh exclaimed, "Don't let me tell you I told you so later. I'm sure she would like something simple… or even something… special."

"Let me spoiled my child!" Roger groaned.

Rayleigh didn't say anything back to him, leaning in and pressing a kiss against his lips before taking a step back. As Roger went to pay for the item, the sudden shout of, "Shanks?!" Came from Rayleigh. Roger turned, his heart stopping as he realized that Shanks was gone.

He quickly moved, looking in every direction as he shouted, "Shanks!"

"Shanks, where are you?" Rayleigh questioned.

Roger could feel his heart pounding against his chest. Never in the last four years has Shanks ever gotten away from them. She always stayed close. She had an understanding that it was dangerous to go off on her own. When she was smaller, she was usually carried or watched very carefully by a member of the crew. Usually, Roger or Rayleigh. They started through the crowd, shouting out the little girl's name as they tried to get eyes on her. He rounded the corner, seeing Gaban and a few of the others looking shocked to see him. "Shanks is gone!" That alone had them all moving into action.

X

When they finally did find her, saying that he was livid was an understatement. Shanks had been cornered by a fountain. A group of teenagers surrounding her. He could hear them throwing insults her way but is actually Shanks' words that were making him angrier. He was ready to intervene, get those brats away from their little girl.

One thing he had learned about Shanks, she hated fighting. Unless if she had too. He had once seen her talk down a rival pirate from attacking a civilian once. She always tried to keep the peace rather than instigate it. It was a trait he adored. She would go far with that.

"Please stop." Shanks muttered, wincing as her hair was pulled.

"What are you going to do about it?" The teenage girl that had started on the braids snickered, "I thought you came to this island with those pirates."

Roger went to march forward but stopped as he felt it. It was so soft. Subtle even. But he could feel it. It was coming off of Shanks. It wasn't a fear, but it was an overwhelming need to enforce willpower. Her hair was jerked again, sending her into the dirt but Roger had been stunned from feeling the power coming off of her. That was something he was not expecting. "Leave me alone!" Shanks shouted, looking up with tear filled eyes. Then the burst of power came next.

One by one, the teenagers that were around her started to faint, falling face first into the ground or slumping on to their sides. Shanks pushed herself up, looking around in shock at the teenagers that were around her.

Roger felt the proud smile tug onto his face.

His little girl had Conqueror's Haki.

"Well, ain't that something." Rayleigh muttered.

The one thing that Roger was even prouder of her for was standing up for herself. Not just someone else that he normally saw. It was her. All her. Sometimes other kids would pick on her on islands. Make fun of her hair or clothes, but they were just that. Kids. Usually around her age. Picking on her because she was a newcomer to an island. It wasn't like she was staying and had to see them again. Normally, she just let them hash out whatever they wanted to say or do and not do a thing about it.

This was different.

These brats were teenagers who clearly could overpower her at the moment in strength.

Not anymore.

Shanks noticed him standing there now, clambering to her feet and rushing forward. "Captain!"

Roger kneeled down just as she got to him, her small arms wrapping around his neck. "What made you walk away from us?"

"I didn't go far at first. Just a shop and then they walked up to me." Shanks mumbled. "I'm so sorry, Captain!"

"Don't apologize." Roger replied, pulling back and wiping at the tears that had fallen down her face. "Just don't walk away from us next time."

Shanks nodded, sniffling as she looked over her shoulder, "What… happened?"

"You used a thing known as Conqueror's haki. You've seen me use it before." Roger explained, "You enforced your own willpower over them, and it knocked them out. They'll wake up soon."

Shanks sniffled again, wiping at her face, "Just like you." It was like the realization was dawning on her as she looked back at him. "I'm like you."

Roger grinned. "You are."

For a second, his mind ventured back to the piece of jewelry he was prepared to buy and then Rayleigh's words. "Captain?" Shanks questioned.

Roger smiled, reaching up towards his straw hat. Shanks loved this hat. Constantly wanting to wear it. Her toy of choice when she was smaller. Rayleigh thought she would want something special from him. Not just a piece of jewelry. This hat was special to him. It gave him an idea.

For the first time, Shanks stood up for herself.

She deserved something for it.

Roger pulled the hat from his head, reaching out and placing it on the little girl's head. He could hear the sound of shock that came from Shanks. The air catching in her throat as she reached up and touched the brim of the straw. "Captain… your hat…"

Roger muttered out, "Our princess needs her crown."

"Captain, why?" Shanks questioned, peeking up at him from underneath the brim of the hat.

Roger's smile only got bigger. "You showed true bravery in that moment, so far that, I'll leave this hat to you. Take good care of it, okay."

Shanks smiled, moving back and bouncing on her feet despite the tear filled eyes as she nodded. "I will!"

Just seeing the happiness on her face was enough. He stood up, reaching out his hand, "Let's go home, Princess." Shanks took it without saying another word, an extra bounce in her step as they walked forward. He could see the look on Rayleigh's face, how happy he looked.

Rayleigh had been right.

If she was going to have a crown, it needed to be something special.

In this case, her crown was a straw hat.