The man burst into the room faster than lightning. Everything was already prepared. If there was one thing to say about Gramps, it was that he prided himself on preparing for the unexpected.

"Get it out! Get it out! Get it oooout!" Annagi's scream filled the room. It had been almost an entire day since she went into labor. Scared out of her mind, the young woman would have rather faced an army of Pacifistas.

Luffy rushed into the room at the sound of her scream carrying clean towels and warm water. He looked almost as scared and tired as she was. Gramps had gone to find a doctor they could trust. There was too much at risk to have a stranger deliver the baby, now that her face became a sensation on the Grand Line. It was taking longer than expected and though Luffy was given instructions on what to do had the contractions gotten closer together, he was too worried to remember what they were.

"I'm here, Ann," he soothingly told her, brushing her wet matted bangs away from her face. "Don't worry. Just breathe!"

"It's not stopping!" She grabbed his hand. "I can't do this!"

Strangling a cry as Annagi's vice like grip tighten as their fingers interlocked. Luffy tried to comfort her. He had no idea how a baby was going to come out of such a tiny person. Trying to sound carefree, he let out a little nervous laugh. "Of course you can do it! You're strong! Gramps will be back soon and it'll all be over!"

As if he heard, Gramps and a familiar pirate materialized by the bedside, making Luffy jump.

"Law!" He managed to cry out, half in pain as Annagi tightened her grip again. "You have to do something!"

Law looked at Luffy in surprise, before turning his focus on Annagi. He frowned. "This would be so much easier if I could use my power, but she sounds pretty far along."

"Do you even know what you're doing?" Luffy looked at the tanned man skeptically.

"First time for everything." Ushering them both out of the room, Annagi was left alone with the Surgeon of Death. He tried to give a reassuring smile, which didn't turn out the way he wanted. Her eyes widen in fear.

"You're tough, kid," he drew up the sheets covering her, ignoring her blush. "We'll get through this."

The next moments were marked by unbearable pain. Annagi could not imagine pain being worse than what she felt in the hours before. It was like she was hit by a train. Each wave of pain felt worse than the next. She barely heard Trafalgar Law telling her to breathe or push. Nothing felt real.

"Keep going, love." Annagi knew she was having another vision of Ace. He hadn't appeared in a while. "You're doing great!"

"If you weren't dead, I'll kill you for what you did to me!" Annagi's pain gave her a short fuse. "But please don't leave…"

Ace took her hand. It felt real. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I promised you wouldn't be alone."

Law looked in the spot where Ace was, and let out a small surprised smile. He preferred her quiet murmurs far more than hellish screams. "Ah, it's crowning! Keep pushing!"

Annagi's hand squeezed the hands of her illusion. Concentrating on the hand holding hers alone, Annagi followed Law's directions. "Oh god! Why did Ace have such a big head?"

"You're almost there, Ann!" It wasn't Ace's voice. She looked and nearly forgot what was happening. Luffy was sitting beside her, his hand held hers just as tightly; it was his hand she felt. Annagi knew her illusion was never corporeal. She wondered when he came back in. The hallucination of Ace was standing behind him smiling at her encouragingly.

"Just a couple more pushes," Law told her. He was already supporting the head of her baby. "Once the shoulders are out, everything will be easier. Come on, kid."

Annagi made an incoherent sound, before following the flow of her body and breathing a sigh of relief. She looked lovingly at Ace as she loosened her grip on Luffy's hand. Ace smiled at her as he moved closer to her.

"You'll be fine now, my love," he whispered in her ear, before kissing her on the forehead. "You can live for him now. I'll always love you." With that he faded away. Deep in her heart, Annagi knew she would never see his ghost, hallucination, or whatever he was again.

Gramps entered the room; his wrinkled face broke into the biggest smile. The young lady he held so dear had a look of unbridled joy on her face as she stared at her newborn. It was as if no sorrow had ever crossed her path. She was in her own little world as she cradled her child wrapped in blankets. Her deep brown eyes sparkled; her face glowed like sunset He sat down next to Luffy beside the bed, noticing that they had the same smile.

"He's lovely," the old man voice was filled with pride. The baby was a new member of his family.

"He's perfect…" Annagi replied. She didn't care for answering. All she wanted to stare into the most beautiful big brown eyes she had ever seen. Her eyes drank in the baby in her arms. His head crowned in black hair contrasting the fairness of his skin. Arms moving so delicately as his cries broke the silence in the room. The pain she felt was gone the moment her baby boy was put into her arms. "Aren't you, my love?" Tears flowed down freely. Happiness she had never known washed down on her. Her heart felt like it would burst from it. "My beautiful boy…"

She didn't notice Law pull Luffy aside as she reveled in her baby cooing as Gramps played with his little feet. He was so tiny!

"Is that really Fire Fist Ace's baby?" Law questioned.

Luffy ground his teeth, hands already balled into fists. "Does that matter?"

"Hold up, I was just asking!" Law threw his hands up in surrender.

"He is mine. My family. So nothing else matters, understand?"

"Understood." Law was already by the bed smiling at Annagi as he took the baby from her. "I have to check up on him now, ok? You'll have him back as soon as I'm sure he's fine."

"You should get cleaned up in the mean time, dear," Gramps suggested. "I'll change the sheets and get the baby's stuff the guys brought you. Luffy, help her up."

Luffy obliged as Annagi held onto him for support.

"I'll manage from here," Annagi told him as she opened the door to the bathroom. "I'll call you when I'm done, if that's okay."

"Of course," Luffy replied. "Are you alright?"

"Yep, just a little tired." Annagi felt the warm water splash down on her head, relishing in it. Soreness crept in before she realized that there was nothing more tiring than giving birth. Even after going through it, she couldn't believe women went through the same experience since the birth of time.

"Our baby is awesome, isn't he? He's going to be so strong. He gripped my finger pretty tightly for just being born! He's Ace's kid after all; of course he's gonna to be strong!" Luffy went on talking as he leaned on the door, his voice filled with excitement.

Ace…Instead of water, sadness washed over her. Tears were indistinguishable from the water droplets that fell on her face. As strong as the happiness she felt minutes before at her invaluable gain, loss enveloped her. She had perfected her fake happy voice since his death. "Of course he is! He'll be even stronger than you one day!"

"Ah! I didn't think of that! He'll be part of my crew! I can't wait!"

Annagi stepped out of the washroom, clothed in a black robe before realizing what Luffy said. "What do you mean 'our baby'?"

"Yours and mine," Luffy replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "We're gonna take great care of him! He's my family too! Both of you are!"

Annagi stared up at him; even though his face appeared haggard, his hair eternally messy, his eyes stared back at her with unadulterated determination. She sighed and Luffy took it to be acceptance since he started ranting on about all the things he was going to teach his nephew.

Convincing Luffy that he had to go back to Rayleigh proved to be a difficult task. They reached a compromise after she agreed to let him hold the baby for a while. The young woman was surprised at how gentle Luffy could be as he cradled Ace's son with a look that he might break at any second.

"So, does your baby have a name?" Law watched as Annagi breastfed her baby. The two of them were left alone in the room.

"Hmm, well I want to tell Ace first, so I'm thinking about visiting his resting place." It was a funny sensation, but Annagi was happy that her baby had no problems latching on to her. "How long do you think it'll be before I'm up and about?"

"By the end of the week, by the looks of things," he answered. Trafalgar Law never thought that he would deliver a baby, much less the grandson of Gol D. Roger. There was also the question of the mother, who was fast becoming a target for the World Government as they recuperated from Marineford. "I do have a question. What are your plans now? I don't think you'd be foolish enough to continue your troublemaking with Ace's pirate friends."

"Who knows," Annagi took her eyes off her baby for a short moment to look at him. "Maybe I like trouble-making."

"If they find out that child is alive, what do you think they'll do?"

"I know what they'll attempt to do. They tried it once with Ace, when he was a baby."

"Then you understand the position you're in. You're going to put this child in harm's way."

"Do you think I'll be going around with a baby in my arms?" Annagi flashed him a dangerous look.

"Just be careful." Trafalgar Law hoped that she wouldn't throw a wrench in his plans. He had already brainstormed an idea for getting the vacant Shichibukai position. With her rebel group running amok, it would be only a matter of time before the World Government would task their allied pirates to take care of the nuisance.

"Always."

"Like you were at Sabaody a few weeks ago?" Trafalgar challenged her.

Annagi had no time to respond as Gramps came back.

"Rayleigh is going to kill that boy." Gramps shook his head. "If you'd seen that look he gave me for bringing him back a day late, you'd think I'd killed his mother."

Annagi sighed as she looked up at Law. "I'm sorry. I will be more careful. You've saved me twice now; back at Marineford and here." She paused in thought before continuing, her voice filled with sincerity. "I will repay this debt. I cannot thank you enough."

Law was taken aback at how quickly her emotions turned, but he couldn't help smile at the new mother. "Good. It's not worth the effort to save people only to have them throw their lives away."

The next week was a busy one for both mother and baby. Annagi's motherhood became a crash course in learning what to do by trial and error. She wished she had the full term of pregnancy to talk to other women or read about what she would expect from books. On top of that the Spade Pirates were in and out of Gramps' house. The excuse was to bring status reports, though there were no detailed accounts of anything. Instead there was a lot of baby talk and fighting about whose turn it was to hold the baby.

Her baby was still very new to her; she overreacted at every little cry or uncomfortable movement her baby made. She was grateful for her month long coma like state as she hadn't sleep through the night since the baby was born. There were moments she wanted to cry herself. Even with Gramps' and her comrades' help, it was all so overwhelming. In the dark moments of the night, when the baby wouldn't stop crying no matter what she did, she quietly sobbed along with her child, crying for Ace. She imagined it would be better with him there as well. Fully, knowing he wouldn't know how to take care of a child, his emotional support would have been invaluable. She would even take having the hallucination back.

When they were finally able to travel, Annagi and her baby found themselves at Ace and Whitebeard's burial ground. Putting the baby carrier the pirates got for her on the ground, she cleared away all the wilting flowers. It felt sadder than fresh flowers. It was a reminder that no one was coming to visit them. That everyone was moving on.

"Hi, Ace," she began, rocking the carrier as her baby started to cry. He quieted down. "I wanted to introduce you to your baby. He looks so much like you, darling. You're the first person I wanted to tell his name. I know you'll think it's too long and a little bit pompous if you were here, but your mother named you Ace and you lived up to it. I've always thought of you as the best, so Maximilian won't have a hard time living up to become the greatest. He already is to me." Anangi laughed softly at the thought as she lifted the baby up and held him in her arms. "Gol D. Maximilian. I know you wouldn't want that name to be passed down, but don't worry, to the world he'll be known as Aruna D. Maximilian. He's perfect, but I'm so scared, Ace. What if I'm doing something wrong? What if I'm going to be a terrible mother? I wish you were here. I miss you. I didn't want to be left behind, but you did. Just like when you left me with Gramps, except I'm never going to see you again. At least you always left me a parting gift. Thank you for Maximilian. He and I will live on and I will carry out your will. I will never let your child know shackles; all he'll have is the true freedom you craved. You might not be here so people will remember your name based on your merits, but I'm still here and as long as I draw breath, I'll never let them forget Portgas D. Ace."

Maximilian and his mother stayed at the foot of Ace's grave until the sun sank. They played, and talked and cried and laughed. She talked about Luffy and his crazy plans of the things he wanted to teach their child and how he was doing with his training. Annagi even admitted that Ace was right; she did get along well with his brother. Before she knew it, they were friends. Though Ace was silent, Annagi felt like he was there. At least in her heart, the three of them were together: a family. When they left, the Queen of Spades felt her heart lighten.

After naming her child, Gramps convinced Annagi, after many heated debates, to visit Garp and let him know the good news.

She scowled at Garp the first moment she saw him. Clearly not forgiving him for Ace's death, she walked into the mountain bandits' hideout.

"It's Annagi and Maximilian!" She announced herself before walking in, followed closely by Garp.

Both he and Dadan's face bore the same expression when they saw Max: white-faced shock. Partly because it had only been a little over a month that she visited them, with no signs that she was pregnant at all.

Explaining what happened and getting dual death stares from Garp and Dadan at pushing herself too hard in training was something that she never wanted to have to go through again. She had hoped that news had not reached Garp about Vengeance and her incident at Sabaody, though his look told her otherwise. Careful not to reveal information about Ivankov and Law, they seemed to believe her for the most part. Her baby was proof enough.

"I know babies look like their fathers, but this is taking it too far, don't you think old man?" Dadan's voice stilled surprised. She held the little baby in her arms, just as she did with Ace before.

Garp remained silent.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Annagi asked curiously.

"He looks exactly like him. It could have been him that I took from Rouge all those years ago." Maximilian was in Garp's hands now. His leathery face warmed staring at the smiling baby. "You're exactly like your father, little one, with the exception that you have your mother's eyes, of course."

"Well let's hope his fate isn't the same one that was sentenced upon his father," Annagi replied coolly. "Or that the one that did the sentencing could be called a familial relation."

"Well, unless your son becomes a pirate he won't have to worry about that." Garp's eyes were like daggers shooting at her. "And it won't be me doing anything, I've retired. Of course they're not letting me go, but I'm an instructor in name."

"Really?" She arched an eyebrow. Annagi didn't think that anything would make the man leave an organization he sacrificed his grandson to. "And it's Maximilian's choice about his own future. If he wants to be a pirate, that's his prerogative. I won't even deter him if he grows up and wants to be a dog for the World Government like you. That is to say if there'll be one when I'm through."

Garp ignored her; instead he focused on his great-grandson. "Well, if your mommy thinks she can do reckless things and make dangerous threats, then you'll become an orphan like your father, won't you Maximilian?"

Annagi snatched her son from the former marine as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Dadan began berating Garp, her fists held back by her subordinated. However, Annagi paid no attention. She held her baby like it would be the last time she ever would, giving him reassurances that she would never leave him as if he understood what she was saying.

After the initial tension, Annagi was convinced to spend the rest of the day on the island. She did it for her son and for Ace. As much as it made her angry, Garp was a person Ace loved and he would want his son to know his family. She wouldn't steal those bonds from her child because of her grief.

"Just take care of the both of you," Garp's voice was sincere. "Your child deserves at least that much."

"Visit us when you can." Dadan kissed the baby goodbye. It seemed so out of her character according to the stories Ace told her. "We'll take care of Maximilian anytime you need."

"I will," Annagi answered the both of them, before disappearing. "We're still learning, but we'll be fine, won't we my dear?"

The words she spoke to Dadan and Garp echoed in her head months after she last saw them. Staring at her sleeping baby in his crib, she smiled. She was surprised at how fast he grew in the few months since his birth. Gramps explained it was most likely due to the side effects of Ivankov's Devil's Fruit as well as his developmental experiment. It had been a week since his growth normalized.

Annagi fell into her bed, her eyes never leaving the crib next to her. She had moved back into her own house. Until she was sure everything was alright with her baby, she couldn't go back to Rusukaina with Luffy and Rayleigh. Of course that didn't mean she stopped training all together. Any free time she had when her child was sleeping and between his frequent feedings, provided that Gramps was free, she popped back onto the island for sparring sessions with Rayleigh and Luffy. The woman found sparring partners in her friends as well, though to her displeasure they almost always held back which made for hollow victories. Even outwitting the marines wasn't much of a challenge anymore. The group never let her go on any of the dangerous missions under the guise that using her as a figurehead popping up here and there would be more plausible for a leader of a rebel group rather than acting as a foot soldier.

Her thoughts turned to the man with the straw hat. Luffy's training in Haki was going very well she was pleased to learn on her trips back. Still, he relied on his Devil's Fruit and brute strength. Rayleigh was trying everything to pound his lessons into his head, even actually pounding his head at times. After finding out incentives were the way to break through to Luffy, Rayleigh became the most cruel teacher. He denied him the right to see his nephew unless there was marked improvement at every one of her visits. Luffy's cries when he failed were heartbreaking.

Looking at her packed trunks next to Maximilian's crib, she welcomed the drift into slumber. Tomorrow, it starts again.