Here is another chapter. Well, I do enjoy her as a baby I do want to progress so the next few chapters will be her aging up. Don't worry she will be getting to see ASL soon. Just know this whole story is from her birth to her death. She will be following Luffy around the world of One Piece. Though she will have a few of her own adventures and a few things in canon will be changed.

Chapter 3 Guns Are Not Toys

It had been a month since Rose was given to the Whitebeard pirates. Today she was currently sitting on a blanket on the deck as everyone went about their normal business. Marco sat not too far from her doing some paperwork well keeping an eye on her. She was watching the crew members walking around the deck. She would occasionally glance at Marco then go back to watching the others.

"What are you doing, Yoi?" Marco asked as he heard her start to babble.

He glanced up to see her with her hands and feet on the ground but with her butt in the air. Someone from the crowd shouted that she was trying to walk and everyone quickly stopped what they were doing to cheer their youngest on. They gathered around excited to see their youngest take her first steps. She slowly stood and with a firm stance looking at Marco. Marco watched her and gently held out his hands waiting for her to make it. Sadly as she lifted her foot she lost her balance and fell backward landing on her butt.

Everyone still gave a small shout of encouragement and joy as their youngest was finally starting to learn how to walk, now everyone was wanting to know what her first word would be.

"Everyone get back to work, yoi," Marco scolded everyone as he stood up and walked over to the littlest one.

Everyone quickly went back to what they were doing. Thatch walked up onto the deck towards Marco with a small bowl of baby food.

"Hey, Mama bird. How is your little chickling today?" Thatch asked with a wide smile on his face as he sat down next to Rose.

"It's Marco and you missed it, she almost took her first step, yoi," Marco said sitting down and putting Rose in his lap.

"Damn I want her to walk towards me first. That way I can boast about it to everyone," Thatch said as he fed Rose.

"You barely come close to her afraid she is going to ruin your hair again, yoi," Marco reminded him lazily as he helped feed her.

As soon as Thatch finished feeding Rose Marco sat her back down on her blanket. Thatch stood up gathering the dirty dishes as he glanced around.

"Do we not have any toys for her to play with?" Thatch asked pointed around her where there was nothing.

"I have not had the time to go look for something kid-friendly for her to play with. Though I doubt we have anything for her to play with. We will probably have to stop at the island to pick up something, yoi," Marco said as he watched Rose chew on the pen he was using.

"I can watch her well, you go look for some things for her," Thatch told Marco as he sat back down in front of Rose.

"It would be helpful, yoi," Marco said as he stood up.

Marco walked around the rather large ship looking for anything that could be used as a toy. Finding nothing really besides a few objects that were okay for her to chew on. He was headed back up when he heard a loud bang on the deck followed by people screaming. Well, his expression did not change. He ran to the deck to see Rose holding a pistol and a random crew member holding his leg laying on the ground screaming.

"WHO GAVE A BABY A LOADED GUN, YOI?!" Marco yelled as he pulled the gun away from Rose's little hands.

"I didn't know it was loaded!" One of the members shouted as they parted ways for the wounded to be carried off.

Marco handed the gun to someone else to take care of. He rubbed his temples already feeling a massive headache quickly approaching. He picked up Rose glaring at Thatch who was supposed to be watching her.

"Well I mean she wasn't hurt. So there is that Mama Marco," Thatch told Marco nervously.

Marco stared him down as Thatch stood there nervously sweating. The only sound was the crew members getting back to their normal jobs.

"Gurararara I came up to see what all the commotion was just to find out our youngest is already a troublemaker," Whitebeard said aloud as he walked over to his seat.

"Well, it is just because we have nothing for her to play with or occupy her time. So some idiot thought giving a toddler a loaded gun would be a great idea, yoi," Marco said walking over to his father.

"Gurararara well we are headed to pick up Dai. If you go and call ahead I'm sure he could pick up some toys or items for her. Or just pick some up in general. Until then I will take care of her," Whitebeard said holding out his hand for Marco to put the child in.

"Are you sure, yoi?" Marco asked his captain as he gently set Rose in his awaiting hand.

"Don't worry, I know how to take care of kids. I will just tell her a story or sing her a song until she falls asleep," Whitebeard said, placing Rose on his knee.

Marco watched his father figure start to sing to her the old pirate's tune Binks' Sake. He smiled softly watching Rose happily clapping along to his captain singing. He could see the others also watching the scene. He sighed before heading to his cabin for a short nap until they met up with Dai.

o0o

Marco woke up a few hours later to someone yelling land ho. He got up and made his way to the deck to see Rose still on Whitebeard's lap but he was currently telling her a story about the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger. Marco stood at his captain's side. When the ship was fully docked just offshore of the island Whitebeard handed Rose to Marco and motioned for Haruta to come over. He stood in front of his captain a bit nervous and unsure why he had been called upon.

"I would like for you to join Marco in going to town to get Dai and to also help shop for our newest crew member," Whitebeard ordered him.

"Okay pops," Haruta said as he looked at Marco.

Marco was already getting a rowboat ready being mindful of the toddler he was holding. Haruta quickly went over and helped Marco lower the boat into the waters below before jumping around the small ship. He waited until he was steady to reach out towards Marco.

"What do you want, yoi?" Marco asked, looking at Haruta's awaiting hands.

"For you to give me the kid. So you don't startle her or drop her when you get on board," Haruta said, stretching his hands out even further.

Marco looked at Haruta's awaiting arms before pulling his blue sash off his waist and quickly tying it into a makeshift baby carrier.

"Wow, you really are prepared Mama Marco," Haruta commented as he let out a small chuckle.

"It is Marco, yoi," Marco said as he gently climbed down a rope ladder and sat down in the back of the rowboat.

He rolled his eyes and sat down and started to row. The pair quickly made it onto the shore where Dai was eagerly awaiting them.

"Hey, guys. I see you brought our bundle of joy," Dai said happily as he tossed his bag into the boat ready to leave.

"Well, we needed to go shopping for her," Haruta told Dai as he stepped onto the beach pulling the boat a bit more onto the sand to stop it from drifting off.

Marco stood up and gently stepped onto the sand being mindful of Rose, as she had fallen asleep well they were rowing to shore. He glanced at Dai who was watching the small child.

"Come on, let's head into town and quickly buy the things we need so we can head back," Haruta said, walking ahead of the two older men.

They followed him into town where they bought some toys and other items they would need. They were on their way back when Rose suddenly woke up crying. Marco was holding too many bags for him to grab Rose so Haruta pulled her out of her carrier and held her gently trying to calm her down. Though he was not too sure about how one was supposed to properly hold a child. Before Dai could take the crying child from Haruta's arms an old woman scooped Rose into her arms and gently started to hum to her, well rocking her gently, instantly calming the child.

Haruta watched in amazement as this woman was able to do something a Whitebeard commander could not do. She then turned a sharp glare at the three of them.

"How could you let your twelve-year-old child take care of your baby? What kind of awful parents are you?" She asked harshly, glaring at Marco and Dai.

"We are not-" Dai started before the woman jabbed her finger into his chest.

"You can not let a kid so young hold a baby without worrying! Did you not see how poorly she was holding this sweet angel?! She almost dropped her! She was not even properly holding the baby's head!" She yelled into a confused Dai's face. She then turned on her heels to glare at Marco.

"And you Miss! Have you not been feeding her properly?! She is too skinny with almost no muscle build-up! She should be up and walking on her own by now! I bet you are still feeding her milk with no solid food!" She yelled at Marco.

He kept silent because it was true. They were not too sure if they should have also been giving her solid foods or wait until she was older.

"And that baby carrier does not look safe at all! A bit more walking and she would have slipped right out the bottom! You both should be ashamed of yourselves. I am honestly surprised that both were able to raise that young one to that old without killing her," She said pointing at Haruta with her free hand.

"Um actually ma'am, I'm not their kid. I'm an-" Haruta started before the old woman pulled Haruta in front of her away from Marco and Dai with a loud gasp.

"You kidnapped a child! You probably kidnapped this one too! You are awful! You two will pay! I will be taking these two to Whitebeard where he will punish you for your awful crimes!" She yelled at them both dragging Haruta towards their ship.

Marco and Dai stood still dumbfounded. Well, she did have some good points about them being bad parents but she had gotten it all wrong about the situation. Their trance was broken when Dai doubled over laughing at something.

"What is so funny, yoi?" Marco asked annoyed that Rose and Haruta had been technically kidnapped under his watch.

"That old lady thought you and Haruta were girls! And best of all she thought you and I were married!" Dai said as he was trying to stop laughing.

Marco glared at him before turning into a phoenix and flying to the ship. As he landed he could see that the old woman was now yelling at Whitebeard about raising kids. Marco watched in amazement as this normal woman was able to quiet Whitebeard without an argument out of him. There were only a handful of people who could truly say that they have done that to the strongest man in the world. He looked around and noticed one of the nurses was writing down what she was saying well another was holding Rose with Haruta standing close by. Dai joined them on the deck just as the woman was finally ending her lecture.

"You do not have to worry ma'am they are all a part of my crew," Whitebeard informed her.

"Which is worse. You can not raise such small children on a pirate ship, it is way too dangerous," She told him.

"Haruta is a division commander and he is an adult. As for raising a small child on a pirate ship, we know, but she will continue to be raised by us," Whitebeard said using his commanding voice leaving no room for arguments.

The old woman sent him a glare but did not argue further.

"Now I shall have my son Vista help take you back across the shore," Whitebeard said as Vista stepped up and helped the old woman back to town.

"Were you taking notes of what she was saying, yoi?" Marco asked as he made his way to the nurses.

She gave a nod before closing the journal and handing it over to Marco. Rose at some point during the exchange had woken up and was now glancing around until her eyes landed on Marco.

"Ma," Rose yelled loudly as she reached for Marco.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch Rose, realizing that she had just spoken her first word. They were most definitely going to be having a party tonight to celebrate this. And it was not simply because they are always looking for an excuse to party. Marco took Rose from the nurse holding her gently and smiling warmly down at her. They may not have realized just how much she meant to them. Rose was part of the crew and part of their hearts, nothing could change that.