Shanks felt himself drift the moment he stepped back on board the Red Force, the screams of the dying and crackling of a broken warship behind him turning into white noise as he tilted his head back, letting the sun warm him. A deep sigh escaped him as he took another step forward, soft drips of blood falling around him with each step.

"Captain?" Benn's voice was concerned and muffled, sounding as if he was talking from behind several doors below deck.

But none of that concerned him, not when a soft shishishi filled his ears. Shanks spun in a circle the ocean bleeding into a lush forest, heart hammering as he glanced wildly through the trees, he could hear Luffy. The familiar shishishi of his sons laugh echoed through the forest in a bright bubbly, yet haunting manner.

"Luffy!" He called, desperately. Why though? Why desperate? They were only playing hide and seek like they always did on bright summer days. It was one of Luffy's favourite activities besides being on the Red Force and story time. "Anchor where are you!?"

"Can't catch me, Dad!" Luffy cried out in a giggle, alerting Shanks immediately where his son was heading. There was a cliff that overlooked the ocean, that could peek at the edges of the village. Relief flooded him as he now knew where he was and ran in that direction, grin pulling at his lips as he did, his own laugh echoing his sons.

Flash of dark red before him had Shanks pick up his pace.

"Got you!" He cheered, hoisting Luffy up over his shoulder and tickling his side.

"Shanks no!" Luffy screamed in glee as he wriggled to be free. He couldn't stop the laughter as he let his son down a sense of wrongwrongwrong hit him as he took in the bright smile of his son.

Shaking his head, he pulled Luffy down into his arm, gaze shifting out to the sea. How long had it been since he held his son? A frown pulled at his brow at the thought, it should have been only yesterday where they were curled up on the sand pointing out shapes in the clouds… but why did it feel like it had been years and not hours?

He hummed softly as he nuzzled the mop of unruly deep red hair.

"Dad?" Luffy's voice was soft, yet something didn't sit right.

"Yeah, Anchor?" He asked a little confused as he brought his hand up to run through his son's hair, why was it wet?

"Why didn't you come?" Anchor asked in a broken voice, older but no less Luffy.

In a blink the bright summer's day turned into a scorching blaze, the forest around them igniting, the ground rumbling with each impact of a cannonball. He could taste the ash on his tongue, could hear the faint screaming of the village below on the roaring wind, could feel the death of every voice with his Haki.

"What?" the word was ripped from him as he realised he was no longer sitting, he was standing and there before him was his Anchor. The sight of him had bile rising in his chest, lodging in his throat along with his scream.

"Why didn't you come? I needed you; I NEEDED YOU AND YOU WEREN'T THERE!" Luffy screamed, tears in his eyes, rubber skin melting and broken, blood spilling from his lips, his eyes, his nose. "YOU LET ME DIE!"

"Nononono…" Shanks begged, trying to rush forward as he watched Anchor step back towards the edge but found himself stuck, feet cemented to the ground. "Anchor no! Please!"

Dirt and debris filled his vision as cannon fire impacted the cliff, Luffy stumbled, hat falling and twisting to land at Shank's feet. He didn't stop fighting, hand gouging the earth as he tried to reach his son.

Luffy's eyes caught his through the dirt, the dust… they were hollow, they were dead. "I'm dead because you didn't come… because of a promise."

"Captain!" Benn's voice snapped him back into reality, hands holding him tight as he hyperventilated, his hand clutching tight to the arms that held him like iron around his chest.

Voices shouted over another, disorientating Shanks severely as he tried to shake away the nightmare? Hallucination? What happened?

"You passed out captain," Benn replied calmly, but Shanks could now see the worry in his eyes, the fear… oh I said that out loud… "Once we finished off the marines you just walked right to the figurehead and went to sleep, it was only an hour later you started screaming. Sent the crew below deck when your Haki flared, only us commanders left."

Shanks swallowed harshly, breath still ragged, voice rough. "I was dreaming… then it turned into a nightmare."

"Here drink this," Yassop murmured as he handed over a jug of water.

Lucky, Beckman, Yassop, Limejuice, Bonk, Snake and Hongo shared a look as they watched their Captain struggle to breathe. It shocked them, terrified them to be honest how Shanks went from sleeping to screaming like he was dying, his Haki ripping from him in waves. It took Benn a while for him to break through. All of them were worried for their Captain, he hadn't been the same since being told of Luffy's death, none of them were to be honest… But Shanks hadn't been sleeping, hadn't been drinking… he spent the majority of his days sitting on the figurehead looking out over the water blankly.

"I dreamt of Luffy," Shanks admitted ignoring the sharp inhales. "It was confusing at first because it felt real. It felt like we were together again and then… it all turned to fire and ash. He blamed me…"

"Anchor would never blame you, Captain!" Lucky Roux exclaimed fiercely.

"I blame me," Shanks admitted as he struggled to get to his feet, shoulders slumped in defeat. "If I didn't make him make that promise… If…"

Beckman sighed, his own heart aching as he pulled Shanks into his arms, hand clamped in comfort at the base of his neck. "This is no one's fault but the World Government. They did this. They are the reason our kid is dead."

No one said a word as a soft muffled sob escaped him.

X

Marco frowned as he eyed the ship off in the distance, it was too far away to tell who it was but he knew they were on a path to intercept the Moby. A sigh escaped him as he collapsed the spyglass and turned to make his way to Pops' side.

He hoped it wasn't another rookie, they just had to deal with one a week ago that dared try and kill Pops. Not only that they had an extremely annoying devil fruit that left the ship in a state of disrepair that they just finished cleaning up.

"Something bothering you son?" Oyaji asked as Marco stopped before him.

"There's a ship on the horizion-yoi." Marco started as he hopped up to sit on his Pops shoulder. "Too far to tell who but let's hope it isn't another rookie-yoi."

"Gurararara let them try my son!" Whitebeard chuckled, turning his head in the direction Marco spotted the ship off. "They should be in spotting range within the hour with the speed they are taking."

Marco sighed as he caught sight of the glint in his Pops eyes. He hoped it wasn't another Rookie crew, he loved all his brothers, but Ace was still new even if he'd been with them for nearly two years and his youngest brother was chaotic enough as it was.

Another sign escaped him as he watched Pops take another drink of Sake and ignore his sister's tuts about his consumption while being monitored. At least that was nothing new. With a hum Marco leant up against his Pops and closed his eyes, soon they would know who was daring to approach them but until then Marco was taking a nap.

"RED FORCE APPROACHING!"

Marco takes it back, he really hopes it was a mistake and that the ship spotted was indeed a rookie crew. He was too tired and overworked to deal with Shanks right now, nor did he feel inclined to babysit his siblings again through another party.

But alas Marco's luck was against him, the Red-Haired Jolly Roger stood stark against the red sails… wait… "Something isn't right Oyaji, Shanks sails are red."

Whitebeard sat up straighter as he heard the news, eyes narrowing as he pulled out his own spyglass to see. He remembered a time long ago when he and Shanks had spoken about sails and how he refused to use red like the Oro Jackson.

"Captain flew the red sails as the Marines and other pirates attacked too often… It drove us all mad how often we had to clean them to get the blood out… so he just decided to dye them all." Shanks laughed around a sip of Sake, eyes far away as they looked out at the Red Force. "I've seen too much bloodshed; I just want to be free and party."

"Tell your brothers to be prepared but let's see what he wants." He ordered while sitting back in his chair, hand clenched tight around his bisento.

He scanned the deck and watched as all his Commanders directed the weaker-willed of his sons to get below deck, more urgently than usual when it came to the red-hair brats' appearance. It seemed they all had picked up on the worry that Marco was portraying and his hypervigilance.

"Permission to come aboard?" Benn Beckman's voice calls out as they drop the gangplank.

"Permission granted-yoi," Marco replied.

Sharp inhales could be heard as Shanks stepped onto the ship; his Haki curled tightly around him but with each step it sent a small scatter of red sparks. But that is not what caught Newgate's attention, no, it was the steady drip drip drip of blood that dropped with each step.

"Brat." He greeted calmly, hand raising slightly as Marco went to intercept Red-Hair's approach, a silent command to stop.

"Whitebeard, I apologise for my abrupt appearance, but the matter is urgent," Shanks stated blandly which had all that knew him on edge. Shanks was never one to speak so blankly, never one to keep his Haki coiled tight nor a face void of a smile.

A deep frown pulled at Newgate's face as he took in the man before him. He looked haggard, more so than usual and his eyes were dull, it was a look he had seen long ago when Rogers was executed and seeing the look now deeply worried him. "I have heard rumours of your warpath across the Grand Line if you plan to take…"

"No, I am not here to fight." Shanks interrupted, ignoring the angry squawks behind him for the insult. "I am here to see Firecracker… Portgas D. Ace. The matter is of extreme importance."

Marco jerked forward angrily, fire flickering behind him. He could see his brothers grasp their own weapons as they stared at Shanks waiting. If he was here to take Ace, to kill Ace then he was going to be in a rude surprise… None of the Whitebeard Pirates would allow him to take a brother.

Now, usually, they wouldn't worry but something about Shanks was wrong… so very wrong. Marco could see Benn clench the butt of his rifle tightly as he eyed the others and yet Shanks didn't even twitch, his eyes locked on Oyaji.

"Uncle?" The voice cut through the silence, breaking the tension with its confusion.

All eyes turned towards Ace, the whitebeards in confusion and the red-hairs with relief.

Ace marched forward with a furrow of confusion, eyes flickering up to the tense face of Pops and then to his uncle. "What's are you doing here uncle?"

"Came to speak with you, Ace," Shanks replied, forcing a smile on his face and opening his arm for the kid to embrace him.

Ace chuckled as he dove forward, arms wrapping around Shanks tightly with pleasure. It had been so long since he got to see his uncle, nearly two years to be precise but he missed him. His smile widened as he caught Benn out the corner of his eyes moving forward, only for it to be wiped away as he felt exhaustion pull at him, his eyes trailing down to the seastone cuff on his wrist.

"What?"

"You dare?"

"Release him!"

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS BRAT!?" Newgate roared as he stood, the butt of his bisento slamming hard on the deck as he took in the flicker of hurt on his sons face and the betrayal.

Shanks ignored them all, his eyes never leaving Ace's face. This would be one of the hardest things he would have to do… because even though he lost a son… Ace basically raised Luffy… How could he tell his nephew that his little brother was gone because someone found out…

"Anchor's gone Ace." He started with a voice void of all emotion. "… Anchors gone."

Ace felt his world tilt to the left as the words reached him, eyes desperately scanning his uncle's face for a lie. "What? No, you lie!"

"The World Government found out…" Shanks started before cutting himself off as he clenched his jaw tight. "A Buster Call was ordered on Dawn… Garp found me to tell me..."

Horror welled within Ace… the world government found out about him? Was it his cursed blood that caused this? Tears pooled in his eyes as his chest tightened, hand coming up to clench at Shanks' arm. "No you lie! He cannot… I was careful! No one knew where I came from!"

With a shaking hand, Shanks let go of Ace to grab the straw hat that was tied to his belt, hidden by his cloak and present it to Ace… he knew that it would be the only proof needed. Shanks didn't believe Garp either after all till he saw the hat.

"It wasn't you Ace… They found out he was the son of Dragon… that he carried a mythical fruit they didn't want in the hands of anyone." Shanks spat out the last word with bitterness. He was the one who stole that fruit, he was the one that left it unattended.

Shanks did all he could to ignore the fact that Luffy was the one his Captain saw… that Oden prophesied.

A scream tore from Ace's lips as he dropped to his knees, curling tight over the tattered straw hat. Shanks closed his eyes as he let the heartbreaking sobs wash over him, his own tears slipping silently down his cheeks. Steam rose off Ace in a way that showed all how angry and hurt the man was feeling, especially with the sea stone cuff. It showed them that without it, the entirety of the deck would be ablaze.

Shanks dropped to the deck hard and pulled Ace close as he begged Luffy to be alive, begged every god there was that it was a lie and held him tight. His own heart was bleeding still right along with him.

Benn sighed as he turned towards Whitebeard who was watching the scene with wide eyes, his face broken from the usual stoic façade. "We meant no offence with the cuff, it was a necessary precaution."

"Who is Anchor? Luffy?" Newgate asked with a furrowed brow, hand growing lax on his bisento that indicated the rest of his sons to stand down. He could see all of them wanted to rush forward to embrace their brother but all could tell that Ace would not appreciate it. "Has something to do with the loss of his arm?"

"Anchor… Luffy… Monkey D. Luffy was the Ocean Blessed Son of Shanks." Benn explained watching as dawning realisation flickered across the large man's face. "He gave an arm to save him and in return the ocean blessed him. We stayed in touch, and found out about Ace and… Sabo… a year and a half later. He was the biological son of Monkey D Dragon, the revolutionary."

Newgate sat back down with a harsh sigh. This explained a few things to him, the red sails, the articles in the Coo that reported Shanks's rage across the Grand Line.

"What do you plan to do now?" He asked after another beat, watching as the brat before him looked down.

"We plan to make our way back to the East Blue, to Dawn and pay our respects," Benn explained with a slow exhale. He had to remain strong, he couldn't break here, not while his captain was occupied.

"I want to go with you." Ace choked out through his sobs; hands clenched around the straw hat as he curled tight within Shanks' embrace. "I need to please Oyaji, I have to."

"We will go together son," Whitebeard exclaimed, glancing at Marco who nodded before turning around to command Ace's division to set a new course for the East Blue.

"Thank you Oyaji."

X

Somewhere in the depths of the ocean, in the belly of a slumbering Sea King, dark eyes snap open confused.


Author Note: Yep, this chapter did not turn out how I wanted but here you go! next is Dawn... and sabo... and Dragon.