My first post-alternate ending drabble! For Lady Red Darkness, who suggested it might "be interesting to see Zoro's and Luffy's kid at different ages." You know Ace is going to drive everyone - especially his parents - insane trying to keep tabs on him when he starts walking. I'll go out on a limb and say he's maybe 18-21 months here; not much older, but still out of the baby-baby stage.

Poor Zoro's gonna start getting gray hair before he's 30.

xxx

"I'm sorry, okay? I thought-"

"YOU SAID IT WAS FIXED!"

"It was! Look, man, no lies- I don't know how it busted again!" Franky protests, shrinking away as the enraged swordsman stalking back and forth across the lawn deck pauses to glare at him, teeth clenched and nostrils flared. "Oi, Zoro-bro, settle down already, alright? You're scarin' your kid!"

"GOOD!" Zoro roars, jabbing the cyborg in the chest forcefully enough to make him flinch. "He should be scared- HE COULDA GOTTEN HIMSELF KILLED!"

The first mate whirls on Usopp, and the sniper takes a step back at the fury visible in his nakama's single eye. "And YOU- you promised me you'd watch him, but you didn't even notice when he wandered off 'cause YOU WERE TOO BUSY FUCKING AROUND WITH YOUR GODDAMN SHITTY EXPLOSIVES!"

Breath hissing raggedly between his teeth, the older pirate pauses, waiting for an excuse, a bullshit lie, anything, but Usopp can't meet his gaze much less speak to defend himself, and the other Straw Hats are equally silent, staring fixedly at their feet.

"Daddy-?" A small voice asks hesitantly, and Zoro squeezes his eye shut and covers it momentarily with one shaking hand, struggling to contain the strong emotions that are responsible for his rapid pulse and the way his heart's slamming away inside his ribcage.

"Shhh," Luffy murmurs soothingly, hushing the wide-eyed toddler he's balancing on one hip and nuzzling his nose into Ace's hair as the little boy clutches at his vest and peeks out from where he's hiding his face against his father's neck. "Zoro's not mad at you- it just really scared him, finding you on the stairs like that."

"Haramaki-bro-"

"Zoro, I'm sorry- I-"

"Save it," the swordsman growls, dropping his hand and blinking away the moisture caught in his eyelashes. He swipes angrily at his face and briefly surveys the guilty pair with a venomous look before stomping over and seizing his captain's free arm, pulling his lover and son with him as he storms towards the door to the aquarium bar, hoping that watching the brightly-colored fish in the enormous tank will be enough to distract their child until he regains enough composure to speak to Ace without shouting at him.

Luffy allows himself to be ushered inside without complaint, and Zoro glances back at Franky one last time before he slams the door shut behind them. "And fix that fucking baby gate the RIGHT way this time."