Dragon leaned heavily against the round, wooden table, a weight on his back that seemed to dig deep into his shoulders as he stared at his father. Across from him, Garp sat with his sleeping son, a tense air around him even if he could see the undercurrents of joy in the vice admiral's eyes.

"His name is Luffy." Dragon's voice was rough and low, barely louder than the crackle of the candle that illuminated the tiny, wooden room.

Garp let out a gruff laugh, uncaring if he woke the child in his arms. His dark eyes never left Luffy, searching for something in the boy that Dragon didn't understand.

"Monkey D. Luffy." Garp nodded to himself, a smile firmly in place. "I have a feeling about this one, son." He spoke as he used a large finger to caress the sleeping child's cheek, a tiny smile forming on Luffy's mouth.

Dragon felt a pull in his chest and he stilled, his mouth tilting down at the edges as he stared at the child in his father's grasp.

Garp's eyes rose and settled on him, heavy and searching. "There's something you're not telling me."

He always hated how his father always seemed to know. He looked away from the unwavering gaze, unwilling to speak while he looked the man in the eye. He was silent for a while, listening to the soft rain against the roof and the far off thunder of the passing storm.

Garp took note of his silence and tensed, leaning forward carefully as his eyes boring into him. Dragon opened his mouth, hesitance shrouding him and making his father hold his breath. The last time Dragon had hesitated, he was contemplating desertion. D's didn't hesitate, and anything that could make them weary was something to be cautious of. They both knew this.

The words came out slowly, as if he was unwilling to believe them himself, even if he had been present for the event. "I made a vow with the sea as my witness."

Garp's eyes seemed to darken, passing thoughts nearly visible on his face. Dragon looked down at his bandaged left hand, still healing even after a week. Garp noticed and trailed his gaze down, his eyes growing razer sharp.

"A pact of blood with the sea." He could still remember the night, how the violent waves had almost frozen their movement even as the wind continued to howl. The air was still in the room, yet the light of the candle flickered and dimmed, as if an unseen force was making it wane. Dragon swallowed, raising his gaze to meet his father's eyes before trailing them down to the baby in his arms. His hair rose on end as he relived the memory, a dryness coating his throat and making his voice come out choked.

"A wave came and cleared the blood that I spilled. And in the next, the sea gave me this child." Dragon's lips pressed into a hard line as he saw his father freeze before slowly moving his eyes down to the baby in his arms. Garp jolted and Dragon looked down to see the baby wide awake, looking at his father with a soul-searching gaze. Like it knew.

Dragon's breath caught in his throat when those eyes moved onto him. And it was ridiculous really, to be so wound up and almost afraid of a baby. But the sea could be calm and loving before it reared her viciousness in the blink of an eye, and this was her child.

In the silence of the room, he could hear his father take in a shuddering breath, his gaze entirely focused on the baby who blinked and smiled up at him. The flame of the candle stilled its movements and the room grew brighter once more as Luffy closed his eyes and went back to sleep. Dragon swallowed hard, moving his gaze back up to his father and watching the color slowly return to his face.

"Tell me exactly what you felt, heard, saw." Garp's voice held a no nonsense tone, like he was aware of what Dragon had done and was simply trying to confirm his suspicions.

His father's eyes never left Luffy's sleeping face, as he began to speak. "It was dark, the moon on the horizon and the wind was loud. I made my vow, offered my blood, and turned away." He had done as many before him, offering their dreams to the sea.

"What did you hear."

It wasn't a question and Dragon wasn't sure how his father knew. He narrowed his eyes, searching his father's face looking down at the baby bundled in his arms, eerily still. "Drums."

Garp raised a hand to his face, leaning heavily on it even as he shook his head, an empty laugh escaping from his throat. "He's going to be a riot, you know." Garp sat straight and began rocking the child in his arms, his shoulders losing their tension. "A child of the sea and a D." Garp threw his head back and laughed, full bodied and uncaring of anything in world.

Dragon didn't share his enjoyment, still lost on what his father knew that he didn't. When the older man's laughter died down his smile remained, looking at Dragon with an excitement that made him weary.

"Many men have made vows to the sea, it has been a long, long time since she has taken any up on the offer."

His heart seemed to beat harder in his chest, stuttering even as he kept his gaze perfectly level at his father's words.

"Luffy is yours. Bound by blood. He may not have been the answer you were expecting, but the sea will fulfill your dream, because it's hers too."

And that was putting it lightly. Dragon could not take care of a child of all things. He was in the middle of a revolution and a wanted criminal. Any child of his would be hunted and used against him, and that had always been why he so adamantly never wanted one. Yet here he was, small with a puff of black hair and eyes that made his heart skip. Dragon paused and furrowed his brows, catching Garp's last words.

"What's her dream?" What could something as powerful as the sea wish for that it didn't have? Or what was it that it wanted to keep?

His father's gaze was unimpressed, and he answered like it was a fact known since the beginning of man. The thunder boomed in the distance and the winds howled against the cabin they were in. Dragon tried to ignore the fact that the storm should have long since passed as he waited for the answer with a baited breath.

"Isn't it obvious?" Garp ruffled the tuff of black hair on Luffy's head and a sleepy smile met his gesture.

"To be free."