Chapter Four: Strange Encounters

Chapter Summary: Shanks steps up to help Uta and Luffy when they have an unpleasant encounter. An unexpected guest and an overheard conversation throw Shanks into a bit of a tailspin.

AN: Hello! There is fluff here but more angst than I anticipated. I will post more fluff eventually, I swear.

*An edit was made to the last chapter regarding Uta's secondary gender. She was changed from an omega to something called a gamma, a specific gender that only occurs when someone manifests early. This is an extremely rare occurrence and people who do manifest as a gamma are ostracized and discriminated against, they are seen as being cursed or as changelings. If anyone wants to go back and check that edit in the previous chapter, it's expounded on in the scene between Shanks and Benn on the Red Force.*

Shanks had never thought of himself as a solitary person.

He had spent his formative years on a pirate ship and not just any pirate ship, but Gol D. Roger's ship. There was no such thing as standing still. Movement was life in more ways than one on the Oro Jackson. Staying still ran the risk of running into Roger's enemies or, even worse, Roger getting bored. No one would be safe if that happened. Rayleigh used to joke that Roger must've been a cat in another life because he was always looking for some shiny thing to entertain himself. As a result, a sedentary lifestyle could never satisfy Shanks, but there were a few notable exceptions.

Baterilla had been an exception. Shanks hadn't chosen that, but it had been beneficial all the same. Roger had been feverishly looking to fulfill his last big adventure before his sickness took hold and all of the crew had been swept up in that fervor, including Shanks. It was easy to put Roger's looming illness to the back of his mind when they were chasing down proof of his fantastical theories instead. Taking the time to stop and truly experience being a family with Rouge, Roger and Buggy had had the dual effect of giving Shanks a chance to appreciate the family that he had but also to grow angry about the fact that he was destined to lose it. Still, for all that he was not used to staying in one place for too long, Baterilla and the normality it briefly offered nestled itself in his heart and he came to cherish that time.

Life on Dawn Island was even slower than it was in Baterilla. Windmill Village was smaller and more rural than Rouge's home island. There wasn't much to do in the sleepy little town, yet after months of using the island as a home base, Shanks had still not gotten to a place where he wanted to leave yet. He didn't delude himself about the reasons. Most of the people of Dawn were open friendly folks who were eager to help and had gotten so used to his presence that they no longer feared him, but they were not what tethered him to this island.

Luffy and Uta were like a lighthouse in the middle of a storm, a safe harbor for him to dock at, buoys keeping him afloat. The two children easily gravitated to Shanks and soaked up every bit of his attention, returning it with unconditional love. It was a surprise to him at first how easily they gave their affection, especially Uta, and not just to him but to his crew as well. It became quickly apparent that his children were lacking adult attention and care. Garp was hardly ever around and hadn't shown face at all in the months Shanks had been on the island. Makino was there and played a maternal role to the kids, but she worked a lot and often did not have time to do more than ensure they had the basics, though Shanks could tell she wished she could do more. Most other adults were the same, taking care of their necessities and ensuring they were fed and clothed and had a place to sleep, but their other needs weren't considered nearly as much.

Shanks and his crew didn't have any of the obligations of the village people. They spent their days drinking and exploring the island. Nothing stopped them from giving the twins their full attention so it was no surprise that they would gravitate towards them. Hongo thought it was also because they could feel their connection to Shanks, even if subconsciously.

"They've been holding their chest just as much as you. They can feel the connection. They probably don't understand what it means, but it's still there, even if it's withered. It could heal over time. Perhaps not completely, but it could shift so it isn't as raw as it is now."

Shanks had been feeling a change since he started spending time with Luffy and Uta. The harsh tugging towards them was getting gentler, the stinging pulls and sharp pains were becoming duller the more time he spent with them. It seemed like the wound that their separation had left within his soul was healing, scarring over little by little and thus soothing the remnants of their bond as well. Part of him worried about what would happen when he left. Would the wound violently be ripped back open? Would the kids get sick again from their separation or would it be tempered now that they were older and had had time to form somewhat of a bond with him, even if it wasn't a traditional one that an omega shared with their pup?

He didn't know but he was not planning on leaving just yet. He couldn't make himself go and the men were still enjoying their time on Dawn. The crew loved getting to know Luffy and Uta and also mingled easily with the locals, who had mostly warmed to the pirate crew. Most of the villagers were more interested in tending to their work anyway. Some would come around from time to time to drink and trade stories with the crew or to ensure Luffy and Uta had their basic needs met but once they realized Shanks and his pack had taken the twins under their wings, they backed off. Most of the villagers didn't seem to have much time for the twins beyond quick and short interactions: a greeting, giving them clothes or food, a kind word, a quick pat on the head, not much more than that.

That was probably why most didn't seem to notice the kids who bullied the twins for being orphans and "freaks" or the adults who would give Uta sidelong glances and judging glares or whispered about bad omens due to her being a gamma. Those same adults would snatch their children's hands when his daughter walked past, sneering about promiscuity and corrupting their child. They acted as if Uta had some disease that they could catch.

Shanks didn't try to hide his disdain towards those people. He was already well-versed in the prejudices omegas faced having dealt with it his whole life and now one of his children would have to face all of that and even worse for something that wasn't her fault or within her control. He had already known the world would condemn them for sins that were not their own, placing Shanks' choices and Dragon's at Luffy and Uta's feet as if they had lived their parents' lives for them and would thus have to face the consequences. That, he had prepared himself for. It was an entirely different scenario for his daughter to have to take on the sins of the man who kidnapped her and tried to force her to be his mate. Shanks feared this treatment would make her think she had done something wrong, that something she did made that man target her or that the people who thought she was a demon or a changeling were right. His fears were confirmed one day thanks to one woman's prejudice.

Shanks had been busy at the dock that day. Benn was going to take about half the crew on the Red Force and sail it to the other side of Dawn Island to the traders in Town Center. He'd check out the rest of the island beyond Windmill Village while there and report what he found to Shanks when he got back. Shanks expected him to be gone for a few days, but he had wanted to go through what plunder remained on the ship with the crew to decide what should be traded and what they could hang on to for later. Luffy and Uta were playing on a pier at the other side of the dock with two children from the village.

Shanks was a little leery about it at first, remembering how Luffy had obtained the scar on his face, but the two village children had approached the twins shyly, told them how cool it was that they were such great friends with real pirates and sheepishly asked if they wanted to play. The twins eagerly agreed and they had been at it for two hours now, running around and coming up with new games to play. The four of them were close enough that Shanks could keep an eye on them while also working with the crew, so he let it be.

He was watching the ship sail away, mentally cataloguing their journey and how long it would take them to return, when he heard a commotion coming from further down the docks. He glanced over to see a woman he didn't recognize pulling the twins' playmates away from them forcefully and scolding them. Shanks figured she must've been the children's mother. Thinking the kids hadn't gotten permission to play, he started over, hoping to smooth things out. As he drew nearer, he began to hear what the woman was saying.

"What did I tell you about this? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?"

"We were just playing, Mom. It's not a big deal," the village girl protested as her brother nodded.

"Not a big deal. Do you have any idea what could've happened? Do you want to end up like her? Cursed and abandoned by God?"

Shanks paused in his stride, his brows furrowing as his mind struggled to process the woman's blatant words of hate and prejudice.

"I'm not cursed, I'm just a gamma. It's no different than you being an omega, it's a second gender. All humans have one," Uta replied, her voice wavering despite her calm words.

"Don't compare me to you, girl! We are not the same. You're a changeling, a demon. There's a difference."

"Hey, you can't talk to my sister that way," Luffy exclaimed angrily.

"And you? You're no better. Wild and ill-mannered and dim-witted."

"Leave my brother out of this. Luffy is good," Uta defended.

"He is only slightly less of a trouble than you are. This village had the misfortune of Garp dumping you two on us and all you've done is bring problems straight to our doorstep. If you hadn't been here, girl, that man would've never come. We lost good men trying to save you. As if you were worth their lives. You are rejected by man and God for some great sin your soul bears. I will not have you stain my children's souls as well."

Uta recoiled sharply at her words. She looked down, guilt, shame and grief clouding her face.

Shanks felt a swell of anger rise in him, anger that made him want nothing more than to crush this woman's bones for daring to put that look on his daughter's face. As his anger rose, an uncontrolled burst of his Haki left him and lashed out towards the woman just as she was sweeping past Luffy and Uta in a flurry of skirts. The wave was small but filled with his rage. It caused the woman to stagger and lose her footing, tripping into the twins. Uta was roughly bumped in the process and stumbled back towards the edge of the dock, teetering on the ledge. Luffy lunged towards her, trying to catch her before she fell in, but he was a second too late. Uta tipped backwards and into the sea. The woman righted herself and looked back horrified at the scene. Luffy stared dumbfounded for a moment before he started shouting.

"Uta! Uta, can you hear me?! Somebody help!"

Shanks snapped into action and ran towards the group. Luffy looked up at his approach, his eyes filled with desperation.

"Shanks! It's Uta, she fell in. You have to save her. She can't swim."

"I didn't mean to— I mean I was just— the girl has a Devil Fruit, it'll drag her right to the bottom," the woman stuttered out.

Shanks looked over at her, surprised at that information, but he wasted no time pulling off his cloak and hat and then jumping into the water. The salt stung his eyes as he dove in, but he ignored it as he casted around to locate his daughter. Even though it had only been seconds, Uta had already been pulled down several feet. She was struggling frantically, her arms and legs pushing up to no avail. He quickly swam down to her and scooped her up in his arms. She clung to him tightly as he began kicking towards the surface. He broke into the open air in seconds, allowing Uta to take a big breath. He pulled himself back up onto the dock as Luffy grabbed his sister and pulled her up onto land. Shanks grabbed his cloak and wrapped Uta up in it, wiping the saltwater out of her eyes and away from her nose.

"Look at me, Songbird. Are you alright," Shanks asked worriedly.

Uta glanced up at him and nodded mutely before Luffy wrapped her up in a hug, frantic chatter streaming out of his mouth. Shanks turned to the woman who had accosted his children, a harsh glare set on his face. She was staring down at the scene with a disturbed look on her face, not that Shanks cared if she was now regretting how things unfolded. For his part, he regretted letting his emotions get the better of him as it had led to Uta being in danger. He should've had a better handle on it but he also didn't regret putting some natural fear into this woman.

"Are you happy with yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"Did it make you feel better? Badgering two defenseless 7-year-olds?"

"I will not be lectured on morality by a pirate."

"And I won't stand by and let a bigot accuse my kids of being sinners, especially for something that they didn't choose. You, however, had the choice of whether or not to utilize what little common sense is rattling around that thing you call a brain for something productive. It's a shame you chose to use it to traumatize four children, including two of your own. Though I suppose having you for a mother is traumatizing enough."

The woman's eyes widened in shock as she stared at him, mouth agape. Shanks spared her one last glare before turning back to his children. Luffy was still clinging to Uta whose face was hidden in his shoulder.

"Let's go see if Makino's got some dry clothes. I'm sure all that seawater isn't making you feel the greatest, Songbird."

He ushered the two kids away from the dock quickly and towards Party's Bar, only briefly giving a thought to his slip-up.

My kids, he had said. He hadn't meant to but once it was out, there was no taking it back. It seemed to have gotten lost in the moment, so he didn't worry about it.

Uta went into her room to change and dry off when they arrived. Shanks waited outside the door for her, sitting on the floor with his back propped up against the wall. Luffy sat on his left side, his head leaning against Shanks' shoulder and his fingers clutched onto his arm.

"Shanks?"

"Yes, Anchor?"

"Why are people so mean to Uta? She didn't do anything to anybody. She's good and strong and kind and the best singer. Why don't people see that?"

Shanks sighed in reply as he glanced down at Luffy.

"Do you remember what I told you about people when you asked me if pirates were bad?"

"Mm-hmm. You said people can be good or bad and that they should all try to be good."

"Well, there are some people who aren't good and know it, so they feel badly about it. They feel they have to make everyone else feel bad too to feel better about themselves. They say and do things they know will hurt other people, especially if those people happen to be a little different."

"What's wrong with being different?"

"Absolutely nothing. But there are people who are afraid of things that are different because they don't understand, so they fear it or hate it."

"That's dumb. Why would you be afraid or hate something because it's different? You don't even know what it is. It could be something great or cool or tasty. What's the point in hating it?"

Shanks smiled a little at Luffy's innocent approach.

"Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like you do, Anchor. The world would be a better place if they did, though perhaps there'd be a lot less meat around."

Luffy gasped in horror at the prospect just as the door opened and Uta came out in a clean white dress, her yellow one left to be washed at a later time. She settled down on the floor on Shanks' right side and stared blankly ahead.

"Lulu," her brother asked, trying to get her attention.

Shanks had sparingly heard him use that nickname, one he used when Uta still used her full name. Luffy liked the symmetry of them being Lulu and Lu. He loved to embrace all the quirks and cliches of twinhood: matching outfits, talking at once, secret ways of communicating, similar sounding names, etc. However, he also respected Uta's choice to not go by Luta anymore even if he didn't really understand why.

Uta glanced over at her brother and the two became locked in a long staring match. Shanks was no longer confused when this happened. The twins had their own way of speaking and understanding each other, some kind of borderline telepathy where they knew what the other was thinking without speaking out loud. It was a source of endless entertainment for the crew when they would test the limits of their twinspeak as Shanks had taken to calling it. He patiently waited for one of them to break the silence. It took a few minutes before Luffy sat back, an unhappy twist to his lips, while Uta switched her gaze over to her father.

"I'm sorry, Shanks."

The captain blinked in surprise at that.

"What would you need to apologize to me for?"

"You had to save me, again. I'm sorry I pulled you from your work and that I didn't tell you about my Devil Fruit. The man who took me made me eat the Sing-Sing Fruit. He said it would make me worth more. I should've told you, I just… people look at me differently because of it. I didn't want there to be another reason for you to…"

"Uta, you didn't pull me from anything. My work is not more important to me than you. And you weren't obligated to tell me about your Devil Fruit."

"But you've been so nice to us. You and your crew are always spending time with us, you don't get annoyed by our questions and you're always helping us when we ask or teaching us new things. I should've told you, it's the least I could do."

"You don't owe me anything. You and Luffy are important to me, so I've spent time with you. That's all. There's nothing you need to do for me in return for it and there's nothing you could do or be that would make me think any differently of you."

"That can't be true. Luffy is good. He's kind, trusting, the best friend anyone could ask for and loyal even when some people probably don't deserve it, but I'm not… there's a reason that man took me away. There's something different about me, something wrong. I think people are right. Maybe I am cursed," Uta said, her voice small and full of self-deprecation.

"Uta, that's not true. Don't believe those stupid people. They're just being dumbos. You're the best!" Luffy protested.

Uta looked down, not meeting her twin's eyes. Luffy gave Shanks a forlorn look, pleading for help silently. Shanks was equal parts heartbroken and angry. It was bad enough Uta had experienced being kidnapped and hurt so badly in the first place, to have society telling her it was her fault and due to something she did just made it ten times worse. He was not going to stand for that.

"When I was a little older than you, something similar happened to me."

Both Luffy and Uta's attention snapped to him in an instant.

"You? But you're so strong," Uta replied incredulously.

"Strong people can be hurt just as much as weaker people. Strength isn't everything. I was on the ship I grew up on with my pack and a man from a rival crew decided he wanted me. We were in the middle of a battle and he managed to snatch me. He held me for a week before my captain found me. Afterwards, I thought that something I did made him take me, that there was something wrong with me or that it was my fault. My mother told me that I shouldn't take on the sins of others. He made a choice to do something heinous to me. I didn't make him do that, there was nothing I could've done to change it because it wasn't me who made that choice and it wasn't my fault. It's the same for you, Songbird. This was not something you caused or did, it was something that was done to you. There is a difference. You are not cursed or forsaken by God. You are not a changeling or a demon or any other rubbish anyone has put in your head. You're still you, whoever you want that person to be. And it's okay to not know who that person is. You're only 7, you have your whole life ahead of you. It didn't end with him."

Uta looked up at him through watery eyes.

"He took me because he said I was beautiful. That's what Luta means. People died trying to save me from him and Luffy was hurt. It's why I'd rather be just Uta now. It means 'sing' and even though he made me eat the Sing-Sing Fruit, I had my voice before he happened. I'd rather people know me as a singer than as beautiful, like he thought I was, or a gamma, like he made me be."

"You don't need to hate or diminish yourself for what he did. You were beautiful before he happened and you're still beautiful now. He can't take that from you, not your name or who you are. Yes, Luta means 'beautiful' but, in my native language at least, it also means 'song' or 'instrument'. You had your music before and after him just as much as your beauty. He can't take those things from you nor can he give them to you. Gamma or not, you don't have to be a new person because of him but it's also okay if you are different. Something life-changing happened to you. But it happened to you, not because of you. I know that doesn't make you feel better about it, but you need to know it wasn't your fault. It was his and his alone. You're strong and brave, you're a fighter. As long as you keep fighting to live, he can never win. This world won't beat you, Uta."

She gave him a long searching look, as if trying to detect a lie. When she found none, the young girl leaned over and wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face into his stomach as sobs wracked her form. Luffy joined the hug on his other side, wrapping one arm around Shanks and the other around his sister. Shanks threaded his fingers through the two children's hair and leaned over them, shielding them from the outside world as they took a moment to feel their shared grief. Not for the first time, Shanks wished he could get his hands on the man who caused his children to be feeling all of this pain. If the man wasn't already dead, Shanks would've had him begging for death.

After a few moments, both children quieted down before looking back up at him with similar faces of despondence. Shanks gathered them close and stood with them tucked under his arms.

"Come on, let's go get some lunch and then we'll go for a walk. We can go out to the sunflower fields, pick some seeds and get Mr. Yanos to roast them for us."

Both children lit up nominally, which Shanks took as a win.

They spent that whole day together, hiking through the forests and picking sunflower seeds from the wild meadows hidden amongst the woods. Mr. Yanos, a semi-hermit who lived in the forest, roasted their seeds and gifted the kids with some candy before they took their haul to their favorite cliff. It had the perfect view of the sea and they could watch the most spectacular view of the sunset.

Shanks laid down on the grassy hill with a child at either side, their heads lolling sleepily against his chest as the three of them got ready to take a nap, having been tired out from their day of hiking.

"Shanks," Luffy mumbled as they watched the sun touching the waves, the local sea beast just visible off in the distance.

"Hmm?"

"We're really glad you came," the twins said at the same time.

A smile he couldn't hope to suppress spread across his face as he glanced down warmly at the two sleepy children.

"I'm glad I did too."

The weather of Dawn Island was usually quite temperate. The East Blue in general had less of the crazy weather that was common in the Grand Line and the other Blues. There were few if any blizzards. Earthquakes and tsunamis were also rare. Strong hurricanes were infrequent and there were no natural tornados. Dawn Island in particular seemed specially situated to avoid any inclement weather, and yet today saw the island gripped by strong winds and a raging downpour. Everyone was forced to board up and huddle inside for warmth and shelter from the rain.

The crew was safe in Party's Bar, drinking and clustered by the lit hearth. Makino was upstairs with the twins who were frightened by the intensity of the storm, having seen so few of them in their lifetime. Shanks would've been up there with them, but he could feel something in the wind, a presence brushing up against his senses that should not have been there. There was a power that blinked in and out of existence. He wasn't sure what it was, but it put him on edge. He stayed downstairs, peering out the window past the shutters trying to catch a glimpse of the source of his unease.

There was a flash of lightning outside, briefly illuminating the dark and bringing to light a cloaked figure standing under the awning at the rear of the bar. Shanks jumped slightly, surprised at the presence that he hadn't felt until it was suddenly just there. Lightning flashed again, giving him another look at the stranger. He relaxed slightly when he recognized the green of his cloak before tensing a little. What was he even doing here?

This was not the first time Shanks had seen Dragon since the twins were born. He had tried his hardest to locate him while he was still pregnant, but the man hadn't become the World's Worst Criminal by being easy to find. Garp was much easier to locate and Shanks had avoided him too during the pregnancy as he couldn't guarantee the secrecy of the Marine Hero's men alongside Garp himself. It was by happenstance he ran into Dragon again two years after the twins' birth.

It was on their birthday and Shanks had found a bar that he could hole up in and drink away his troubles. The rest of the crew were similarly engaged, all sharing in his melancholy and grief. He had gone to the counter to order another bottle when he felt a powerful presence sit down next to him.

"Give him whatever he wants. I'll cover it," a gruff voice said to the bartender.

Shanks glanced over and blinked in surprise at Dragon, not expecting him.

"Drowning your sorrows," the older man inquired.

"Something like that," Shanks mumbled in return, thanking the bartender for the bottle of whiskey he slid his way. He opened it and took a long drag from it, the alcohol burning on the way down, not that Shanks had cared.

Dragon was silent at his side, sipping on his beer and watching Shanks through mostly apathetic eyes.

"You know, don't you? About…"

Dragon nodded mutely.

"I tried to find you before they got here."

"I wouldn't be very good at what I do if you had been able to find me. The old man let me know, told me off for being with you and warned me away from them."

"You've seen them," Shanks asked, his voice tinged with a sliver of desperation he had failed to hide.

"From a distance."

"Garp didn't tell me where he brought them," he commented offhandedly.

"Do you want to know?"

Shanks had been tempted to say yes but he shook his head.

"If you tell me, I'll go straight there. I'm selfish, I won't be able to stop myself."

"I wouldn't let you."

"You wouldn't be able to stop me either," Shanks replied, a joyless smile on his lips.

Dragon didn't rebut his words.

"They turn two years old today," Shanks lamented after another moment.

"Can you tell me about them?"

"I don't know much about them," the revolutionary replied.

"You know more than I do."

Dragon's information had been sparing, barely enough for Shanks to form a picture of the twins, but it was something. He had kissed his cheek in gratitude but did nothing more than that. He was drunk and sad enough to briefly consider finding some comfort in Dragon's arms. He couldn't understand completely what Shanks was feeling but they were inextricably linked in a way he would never be with anyone else in the world. It was an oddly comforting feeling, to know that the connection he shared with the twins had another tangible link out in the world, even if it wasn't exactly the same. However, he thought better of it. He would only live to regret that and he didn't want to use Dragon that way. The two went their separate ways but Shanks always saw him again on the twins' next birthday. They would drink in mostly silence, broken up by the few things Dragon knew about the twins from his short, infrequent visits to check on them.

Now, here he was on Dawn Island.

Shanks looked back at his pack huddled together and indicated that he was going outside. Yasopp rose an eyebrow and silently asked if he wanted company but Shanks waved him off. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself as he stepped outside into the tempest. The wind was hard enough that his hat flew off his head, catching around his neck by the string as his cloak flapped around him in the merciless breeze. He walked ahead on steady feet, unphased by the wind as he came to stand beside the taller man.

"Is all this really necessary," Shanks asked wryly, raising his voice to be heard over the howling wind.

After a moment, the breeze died down so the rain was not stinging as it was whipped against his face and he could be heard without having to yell.

"And here my crew thinks the twins got their dramatics from me. That would be the Monkey D. genes in them much more than anything else."

"If anyone would be to blame for that, it'd be my father," the older man replied gruffly.

"I think your father is around them as much as you are. I've seen more of you than him since I've been here."

"And how long is that?"

"A few months. I happened upon them."

"Fate, is it?"

"You can call it fate or accident, makes no difference. I found them."

"That you did," Dragon replied.

There was something in his tone that made Shanks' hackles rise.

"I had to see them. I haven't told them about our relationship, I'm not a fool. I'm just visiting."

"Even if it endangers them?"

"You've visited too."

"Something tells me you're not keeping the same distance I have."

"I told you I'm selfish, that I wouldn't be able to just walk away if I knew where they were."

"Well, you've seen them, you know where they are. Are you satisfied now?"

"Are you asking me if I'm leaving?"

"Is it even a question that needs asking?"

Shanks sighed before shaking his head.

"No, it's not in question. I will leave, eventually. I just don't know when yet."

"You're playing a very dangerous game, you realize that don't you? The East Blue is the weakest sea and the Marines here aren't anything you'd have to worry about, but that's not accounting for the danger they pose to the pups. The twins are here for their own safety, not for our convenience."

"Because you care so much about them, do you," Shanks shot back, his patience pulled taut.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've seen them more often than I have over the years. You didn't think to mention what happened to Uta to me? That she's a gamma and what happened to force her into one? It happened over a year ago. Don't tell me you didn't know."

Dragon's lips pursed unhappily at that.

"What would've been the point of telling you? There was nothing you could do. It had already happened by the time I visited again. My father told me he handled it. There's nothing left of the man to take my anger out on and the last thing the girl needed was a strange alpha showing up in her life after one had just kidnapped and harmed her. She needed you showing up here when she was at her most vulnerable even less."

"That wasn't for you to decide! I could've been here for her already, for both of them. They barely have anyone that they can truly rely on. There's no one around that they can call family other than each other. They have no pack whatsoever. Do you have any idea how much they're missing out?"

"You knew that's what their lives would be. You chose that for them when you handed them over to my father. Did you really think he was the nurturing type? You knew he'd keep them alive even if he would be shit at making sure they knew they were loved. I can't judge really, I wouldn't be any better than him. That has been the point of my visits, to make sure they're still living. I decided long ago that that would be the extent of my role in their lives and I'm okay with that."

"I didn't decide that. You may be content with that, but I made a vow to them that I would find them again and we would be together when I'm strong enough to protect them. That was the choice I made, not to send them off into the world with no care for what would happen to them afterwards. Do you truly expect me to be so cold that I could just walk away from them now when they need me?"

"They've always needed you but they've survived. They learned to live without you and it's worked out well so far. They're safe but if you stick around here much longer, they won't stay that way. You'll lead every enemy you and I have straight to them. Why do you think my father doesn't visit often? If he did, he'd draw attention to this island, attention to them. He's staying away for their benefit. Once upon a time, you realized the wisdom in doing the same."

Shanks deflated slightly at Dragon's words.

"There's still wisdom in it. I… I'm not ready yet to face the world with them. I'm not untouchable yet."

"You'll never be as long as you stay here. You can only achieve that in the Grand Line."

"I can't walk away from them yet. The time's not right. They still need me."

"Do they need you or do you need them?"

Before Shanks could answer, there was a flash of lightning which briefly blinded him. When the white cleared from his vision, Dragon was gone.

Shanks sighed and ran a rough hand down his face.

"Asshole," he muttered to himself as he walked back inside the bar, his clothes now soaked from the rain.

He trudged upstairs, hoping Makino had some clothes that might fit him. He walked towards the children's bedroom where he could here voices filtering past the cracked doorway. He peeked inside to see that Makino and the twins were sat between Luffy and Uta's bed, a fort of blankets and pillows piled up around them with a lantern illuminating the little shelter they had made. Makino was reading a book to the twins who listened in rapt attention.

"…The house caught fire at once and was swallowed by flame, but no sooner had it burnt down than another, far bigger and richer, appeared in its place. The old man smiled. "I can see, my son, that you are the only one of your brothers who knows the meaning of virtue," he said. "May good fortune be with you always!" The youngest brother now saw that the man he had thought a beggar was none other than his foster father. He rushed to him, but the old man vanished and was seen no more. The end," Makino read before holding the book down.

"Wow, what a weird old man. Why'd he go around burning everyone's houses down," Luffy commented, drawing a chuckle from Makino.

"I think he was trying to teach them a lesson," Uta replied slowly like she didn't totally understand either but was trying to.

"That's right. He wanted to make sure they had learned the value of hard-work and giving to others," Makino explained.

"But why did he care so much," Uta asked.

"He took on the role of their father, so he wanted to be sure his sons were good men."

Luffy and Uta glanced over at each other, the two having a silent conversation between themselves before Uta spoke up.

"What does a father do anyway?"

Shanks felt a pang in his chest and a frown tugged at his lips as he realized that his children had no personal concepts of what parents did or were like. They would have an outside view of parents within the village but then again, they didn't spend a lot of time with the other kids and there were several parents who actively encouraged their children to ostracize them. He was certain the twins' idea of parents was disjointed and ill-formed as a result.

"Do all fathers go around burning your house down if you don't do what they say," Luffy questioned.

Makino let out another giggle and Shanks had to stifle his own laughter at the boy's confused query.

"I can assure you, arsonist is not the standard role a father plays in their child's life. Fathers are supposed to protect you, teach you things about life and the world. Sometimes, they're your pack leader. They comfort you when you're sad, and help you grow stronger. Above all else, fathers are supposed to love you. That's what good fathers do anyway."

"Oh," the two children replied before looking back at one another again, the gears in their heads visibly turning as they parsed through this new understanding.

"So, like Shanks," they both asked, tilting their heads curiously at Makino.

Shanks felt himself freeze at that, a breath getting lodged in his throat.

"Why do you say that," Makino asked, a strange note in her voice that the children likely didn't pick up on.

"Shanks has protected us," Uta commented.

"Yeah, and he's taught us stuff," Luffy added.

"He comforts us when we're sad and he's helped us get stronger too."

"He's a pack leader, even though we're not in his pack. And I think… I think he loves us," Luffy continued uncertainly, looking to Uta for confirmation but the older twin shrugged in reply.

"I'm not sure. I don't know how to tell."

"He definitely does love you," Makino assured.

"Then, Shanks would be like our father, right," Uta asked, a contemplative look on her face as she absently rubbed her chest.

"Well, when you put it that way, I suppose that he would be, yes," Makino replied carefully.

"But do me a favor and don't tell him that to his face just yet. You might give him a heart attack."

Luffy shrugged carelessly in return while Uta nodded slowly in acquiescence, her face still full of thought.

Shanks stepped away from the door, staggering a little as he made his way back down the hall. He really didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Dragon's words rung in his head.

"Do they need you or do you need them?"

Shanks couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer to that question, but he knew that leaving just got even harder for him.

Shanks was more shaken by Dragon's impromptu visit than he was willing to admit.

Dragon's stance on the kids appeared to be 'keep them alive'. By his estimation, his job started and ended right there. Shanks had carried them for nine months, held them fresh out of the womb, was the first thing they gazed upon in life, named them, felt the pain of their loss for a month of bedridden hell and a further seven years of deep yearning. Now, he had them back. How could he just walk away?

At the same time, how could he stay? He was much stronger than he had been when he had them. Seven years had made a world of difference for not only his personal strength but for his reputation as well. However, being a billion-berri man was not enough to ensure that those he called his would be untouchable. Nothing would ensure that, but being a yonko would make anyone think twice about coming after him, his pack or his children. Luffy and Uta were seven years old now but they wouldn't be children forever. They wanted to eventually become pirates. If they did, it would only be a matter of time before they ran afoul of one of Shanks' enemies. What if they discovered the truth? If he were as he was now, people would not hesitate to go after his children, but if he were an Emperor…

Dragon was right, he couldn't become what he needed to be if he stayed on Dawn. Still, the idea of leaving tore at his heart and caused a wave of panic to crash down on him. He left before and look what had happened. Uta was hurt in a way that could never be reversed. Luffy too bore scars from Uta's abduction. His smiles were wide and full of joy but Shanks could catch the flashes of fear in his eyes when he looked at his side and Uta was not there. He could see the momentary terror when he thought that he was alone. He saw the simmering resentment and anger towards the people who looked down on him and Uta and the longing for affection, love, belonging, family. What kind of father would he be if he walked away now? He didn't think he would ever win any awards, but he couldn't and wouldn't leave his children like this, not now.

His inner turmoil and indecision curled up in his chest like an iron fist and twisted around his heart. He wished that Benn was around to tell him what he needed to hear but he had still not returned from Town Center. The rest of his crew seemed to have picked up on his unease, but Shanks had brushed off the concern. He needed time to think. He found himself withdrawing from everyone else as his mind spiraled and his thoughts folded back onto themselves, coming to the same conclusions over and over again with no true resolution in sight. He was under no delusions that his change in behavior would remain unnoticed but he still hadn't truly expected Yasopp to pluck up the courage to approach him.

Shanks sat on his favorite cliff, looking out at the sea. He could see the local Sea King hunting for fish not far from the shore. The docks were clear even though it was easily over a mile away but the residents of Dawn decided it was better safe than sorry. This Sea King was young and barely a fourth the size of the beasts Shanks was used to seeing on the Grand Line. Still, he wasn't so foolish as to dismiss the danger it posed, especially since it insisted on living so close to the island. It was a good thing Uta and Luffy didn't (couldn't) swim. It was one less thing to worry about.

God, it felt like all he did was worry about them. At least that was one thing that hadn't changed since he found them again.

"Hey chief, I figured I'd find you here."

Shanks looked back as Yasopp came trudging up the hill, a bottle of sake in hand. He sat at Shanks' side and offered the bottle to him. Shanks took it gratefully and took a long drag before handing it back. The two sat in silence for a moment, Yasopp's calm beta scent washing over Shanks and causing his muscles to relax bit by bit, before Yasopp spoke up.

"We get it, you know."

Shanks looked over at him inquiringly.

"Why we haven't left yet. I figured that's what's got you so lost in your own head lately. The crew understands why we've stuck around this long. Most of us were there when the twins were born, we know how hard it was for you to give them up. It's been hard on all of us. They're pack, our pups, and to lose them so quickly hurt us all. It's not so easy to leave again. Sure, all of us are craving the sea but we don't want to leave our pups behind either."

"I know leaving is the right thing, it's just not as easy in practice."

"Trust me, I know. Why do you think I haven't gone to Syrup Village? We're so close. I can feel Usopp and Banchina in my bones as if they were right next to me."

"So why don't you go to them?"

"Because I don't know if I would be able to leave again. I've made just as many enemies as you have. I wouldn't forgive myself if any of those enemies attacked Syrup Village because of me."

"I know what I have to do, I just can't get myself to do it yet."

"We'll wait as long as you need, captain. You'll do the right thing in the end, whatever that is."

Shanks scoffed a little and took the sake back, taking a long pull from it.

"I don't know what the right thing is."

"You'll figure it out."

Yasopp left him not long after but Shanks stayed on the cliff, drinking through the bottle of sake that Yasopp left. It wasn't nearly enough to soothe his nerves but he made no effort to go back into the village to secure more booze. He was trying to avoid company as much as possible. Despite that, a second visitor unceremoniously popped up on to the cliff.

"There you are! I knew I'd find you here."

Shanks glanced back, an involuntary smile spreading on his lips as an exasperated Luffy came bounding up the hill.

"How'd you find me, Anchor?"

"Dunno, just had a feeling and I followed it," the boy shrugged, which told Shanks all he needed to know.

Luffy stayed a few feet away from him, his arms swinging at his sides as he swayed back and forth almost shyly. Shanks rose a brow at the stance.

"Anchor," he lightly inquired.

"I can leave, if you want. I was just bored in town with Uta away."

Uta always left the village during the weekends. Garp had some friends that lived in the mountains and he had apparently had an arrangement whereby Uta spent her weekends there "training" with these friends. Shanks wasn't so sure about that, especially when Luffy had blithely declared that they were mountain bandits, whom Luffy strongly disliked, led by a "chain-smoking bear woman". Uta was always excited to go and appeared to quite like this bear woman. She was always eager to show off what she had learned when she returned. Shanks could see the wisdom in Uta learning ways to defend herself, but he questioned why Garp had mountain bandits for friends in the first place. Then again, he and Roger had been friendly rivals more than actual enemies. But Luffy's first words caught his attention.

"Why would I want you to leave, Anchor?"

"I dunno. It's just you haven't been spending as much time with Uta and I the last few days. Hongo said you just have a lot on your mind is all but, well, I know I'm a lot sometimes."

Shanks blinked in response. He had been keeping to himself, wrapped up in his own thoughts, but he didn't realize that Luffy and Uta would've thought that that was down to them.

"You didn't do anything wrong. Hongo is exactly right. I've just had a lot to think about. I'm sorry if I made you think you had done something."

Luffy approached him, uncharacteristically cautious, and settled down next to him.

"What were you thinking about? Maybe I can help."

"It's adult stuff I'm afraid."

"I'm grown up. I'm seven years old and that means I'm a man."

Shanks chuckled in reply.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah!"

"And just what makes you a man?"

"Look it! I've got a scar. I'm super strong. My punches are like pistols. And I've even got some hair on my chin, look!"

Luffy pressed his very bare face up to Shanks to inspect, drawing another chuckle from the man.

"Well, in that case, I'll be sure to let Makino know to serve you what the rest of the lads drink."

"Really?!"

Shanks gave him a teasing look in reply. Luffy scowled after a moment, giving Shanks a shove.

"So annoying! Why don't you ever tease Uta?"

"'Cause Uta's an angel and you're a little gremlin," he taunted.

"Annoying! Stupid Shanks!"

Shanks smiled, pleased with himself that he had managed to get Luffy back to his normal rambunctious self and not tiptoeing around him like he had done something to earn Shanks' disregard.

"Now I'm not letting you come with me to pick up Uta."

Shanks rose a brow at that.

"Get Uta?"

"Maki wanted me to come and ask if you would get Uta from Bear Woman's house because Maki is busy and can't go hiking for her herself. Maki said I should go with you to show you the way, but now you can stay here. I'll get her on my own," Luffy declared before getting up and starting to stomp away. Shanks got up after a moment and came up behind the boy, grabbing him by the waist and throwing him up onto his shoulders.

"Hey," Luffy protested but he was also giggling, which took all the sting out of his anger.

"Lead the way then, Anchor."

"I said you can't come."

"Ugh, you're such a brat. This is exactly why Uta's my favorite."

Luffy gave an indignant squawk.

"Fine, 'cause Benn's my favorite, so there!"

Shanks looked up at him in mock offense.

"Hey! You take that back."

"Nuh-uh."

He reached up and held the boy steady with one hand before he started tickling him mercilessly with the other.

"Ah! Stop," Luffy pleaded between loud peels of laughter.

"No way, not until you take it back."

"Never!"

"Oh well, I guess this is your life now."

Luffy held out for an admirable time before he finally caved.

"Fine, fine, you're my favorite! Just stop!"

"There. Was that so hard?"

"You're such a jerk," Luffy grumbled but he laid his head down on top of Shanks', pressing his straw hat down so it nearly covered his eyes. They continued walking in silence, following the path into the woods that Luffy directed them down. Shanks could feel the wild animals in the area, some more dangerous than others, as well as the presence of who he assumed were various tribes of mountain bandits. His Haki told him they were all relatively low on the threat scale, as with most things from the East Blue, but they had numbers. He used his conqueror's Haki to encourage anything around him to keep a wide berth. He didn't want to get caught up in a fight while he had Luffy with him.

Speaking of, Luffy was unusually silent. He would've thought the boy was sleeping except he spoke up ever so often to direct Shanks on where to go. Perhaps he was thinking deeply about something. That did happen from time to time. It was nearly half an hour before Luffy spoke up again.

"Hey Shanks, I heard some of the crew talking earlier about when you guys are leaving."

Shanks stiffened a little, a hitch in his step before he continued forward.

"Oh?"

"I know you guys are pirates so you can't stay forever, but… well, Uta and I were thinking and since we're going to be pirates too, and you're a pirate already, you could just take us with you!"

"Anchor… I can't do that."

"But why not? We'll do whatever you say and we won't take up that much space. You said you were an apprant-ice when you were our age," Luffy whined.

"Apprentice."

"That's what I said."

"Anchor, you and Uta are too young. The sea isn't a child's game."

"But we're seven. We're practically grown already. We're strong and brave, we can be pirates."

"You can be, but you're not ready yet. The sea is a dangerous place, the scars on my face are proof of that. Not even the strong are safe."

"We want to be free, you said being a pirate makes you free. Why can't we just go be free with you?"

"Luffy, trust me, I would love that, but it's not the right time yet. I'm sorry."

"We are ready and we'll prove it to you," Luffy declared with determination.

Shanks was about to ask what he meant by that when the forest was pierced by a loud cry of fury.

Shanks stopped in his tracks and glanced up at Luffy, whose eyes were equally as wide.

"Was that…?"

"Uta. She sounds really mad," Luffy confirmed, looking up with concern and curiosity.

Shanks walked over to where the scream had originated. He could hear shouts coming from that direction, all of it appearing to be Uta who was letting off a litany of insults and threats at someone the likes of which Shanks had never heard from the girl before, not even when she was defending Luffy from bullies.

He finally reached a clearing in the trees and came upon a wooden house in the middle of the wilderness. Uta was at the edge of the clearing, a bat wrapped in barbed wire clutched in her grip as she seemingly shouted at the trees. Her hair was caked in mud and her dress had several patches of dirt smeared into it as well as foliage and a few rips.

"Look what you did, you idiot! You ruined my dress!"

"It was an ugly dress anyway," a disembodied young voice said from within the trees.

Shanks looked closer and he could see a young boy sat on a huge bison carcass, shrouded by the trees and holding a long pipe in his hands as he glared down at Uta.

"Get down here! I'm going to break your nose, you stupid Freckleface!"

"You wish."

"I've done it before, I'll do it again, dumbo."

The boy retaliated by throwing a rock at Uta who swiftly hit it with her bat, knocking it into the boy's head.

"Ow, that hurt!"

"Good!"

The boy jumped down from atop the dead animal and Uta immediately pounced on him, both their weapons discarded in favor of rolling around as they wrestled on the ground and hurled insults at one another.

"Dummie!"

"Idiot!"

"Prissy princess!"

"Jerkface!"

Shanks stared at the scene, dumbfounded. He had never seen Uta like this with anyone before. He glanced up at Luffy who looked taken aback but not surprised. He shrugged in response to Shanks' raised brow.

"That's Dadan's son. Uta complains about him all the time. She says he's the worst."

Shanks was going to say something in response when suddenly something came flying and hit Luffy on the cheek. The boy startled and touched the liquid for a moment before recoiling in disgust.

"Wha— spit!? Who did that?"

He looked up, outraged at the boy who was now glaring at Luffy.

"I'm not Dadan's son. Don't ever say that again, you little twerp."

Luffy scrambled down from Shanks' shoulders and stomped over to the boy.

"That's gross! Say sorry!"

"Yeah, Freckleface. Apologize to my brother," Uta demanded.

The boy stuck his tongue out at the two which prompted the twins to jump forward and try to fight him, which really just amounted to a lot of arms swinging but not connecting and insults being thrown.

Shanks shook his head, wondering if this was what he and Buggy had looked like to the crew on the Jackson. If so, he owed them sincere apologies.

He decided now would probably be a good time to step in. He moved forward and grabbed both of his kids by the scruffs of their necks, holding them up and off the ground even as they protested and tried to get back into a fight with the boy who stood back and glared up at Shanks defiantly. The omega rose an eyebrow at him even as he was struck by a sense of familiarity, like he knew this boy from somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it.

The door to the house suddenly banged open and a large woman with curly red hair and a cigarette hanging out of her mouth stomped out.

"What's all this damn racquet, you brats!?"

"It's his fault!"

"It's her fault!"

The two eldest kids accused at once, pointing at the other.

"Freckleface dumped mud on me," Uta exclaimed angrily.

"Prissy Princess threw a rock at my head," the boy hissed.

"Only after you ruined my dress."

"Ugly dress."

"Let me go, Shanks, so I can break his face!"

The redhead shook his head, both amused and dumbstruck. Where did his little angel go and when did she get replaced by this violent little gremlin? Benn would probably say he should've known Uta had this in her all along. She was his kid and a Monkey D. on top of that. Still, it was a strange thing for Shanks to contemplate, Luffy being the more rational and level-headed twin, if only marginally. It was like up was down.

"Songbird, we can clean your dress."

"It's the principle that matters," the girl protested.

"Yeah, the priceiple," Luffy repeated.

"Principle," Shanks corrected.

"That's what I said."

"Who the fuck are you," the woman, Dadan, demanded.

Shanks turned and gave her a charming smile.

"Hello, I'm just here to collect Uta and bring her back to the village. Makino couldn't make the trip."

The alpha woman gave him a suspicious glare and flicked her eyes to Uta for confirmation, who nodded her head.

"Shanks is the pirate captain I was telling you about."

Dadan's eyes lit with understanding and then annoyance.

"Oh. Brat won't shut up about you. Omega pirate captain, huh? I don't hear about many of your kind."

"Do you know many pirates?"

"I try not to. Your kind are more trouble than you're worth. Take her and go then. I've got enough on my plate with that little shit, I don't need two more giving me a headache. You could take that one too for all I care, ungrateful git."

Shanks glanced back at the boy who had stepped further into the light, his arms folded across his chest as a sneer was set on his lips, glowering at all the world. He had never seen a kid look so angry before. Still, there was something so familiar about him, like a memory that was pulling at the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite figure it out.

"Hey, say sorry first. You spit on me and it's disgusting," Luffy demanded.

The boy stared back stoically as Dadan scoffed.

"You're spitting now? Maybe you should stay out there with the wild animals if that's how you're going to act, Ace."

"If I've gotta stay with animals, I might as well stay with you," the boy shot back.

The woman bellowed angrily but whatever else she was saying completely passed Shanks by as the pieces suddenly slotted in place. He studied the boy.

The black hair from Roger. The freckles from Rouge. His face was younger, but he looked so much like his parents that Shanks had no clue how he didn't know who he was from the start. But he looked too young, too small. Rouge and Roger's child should've been 12 at least while this boy looked closer to 10. Still, there was no denying his looks and the name just confirmed it.

"You're Gol D. Ace," Shanks muttered out loud, staring wide-eyed at the kid.

Both Ace and Dadan stopped their arguing and looked over at Shanks. Dadan's expression had morphed back into suspicion and her hands inched closer to her concealed weapons while Ace stared at Shanks for a quiet moment. His face passed through several emotions in quick succession before he suddenly let out a battle cry and ran at Shanks full tilt. Shanks let Uta and Luffy back on the ground and caught the pipe in the boy's hand before it could hit him.

"Don't ever call me that again!"

"But you are Roger and Rouge's son, aren't you?"

"I don't owe that man anything, not even my life. He hasn't done anything good for me, so don't ever call me his," he hissed angrily, trying to rip his weapon away to hit Shanks.

Shanks drew back, surprised by the venom in the young boy's words.

At the same time, it felt like looking in a funhouse mirror. Shanks had seen just as much anger and despair in his own eyes during his darkest moments following Roger's execution. And that was what he could tell the boy was feeling. It was buried under the hatred and the violence, but Shanks knew how to find it. He had enough practice with himself. He couldn't help the wave of sadness that he felt as he looked down at the boy, Roger and Rouge's boy, the last thing they ever made together.

"Calm down, Ace. He didn't mean anything by it," Uta said, using the boy's name for the first time and staring at him with a degree of concern.

"Ace's last name is Portgas, not Gol," she relayed, calmly walking around Shanks and placing a hand on Ace's shoulder.

The boy shot her a glare in response. Uta whispered something in his ear. He held the glower for a moment more before he slowly loosened his grip on his pipe. Shanks released the pipe and Ace lowered it but held the harsh look on Shanks.

"Wait, the Pirate King and Hibiscus Rouge are your parents? No way! That's so cool," Luffy exclaimed with excitement, running around to beam at Ace with admiration.

"Shanks told us all about your parents. They sound so awesome! Uta and I are gonna be pirates just like them."

Ace startled at that before turning his gaze back to Shanks.

"You knew my parents? Like, actually knew them?"

"I more than knew them. They raised me. They were my parents in all ways but blood."

Ace blinked at him, his face going through a complicated set of emotions before it settled onto a mask of anger. The boy turned and stomped away into the woods.

"Hey, wait! Come back," Luffy called.

"Ace, you shouldn't run off alone," Uta added.

The boy ignored both of them and continued storming away. Shanks watched him go, an iron weight settling in his stomach.

There was no way he could leave right now.

AN: Ace has entered the chat!

This is the part where I remind you that the timeline is my bitch. We are going full AU territory at this point, with Ace at least. Again, some things will be the same and others will be different, or similar but changed.

The story Makino is reading to the twins is an Ukrainian folktale called "The Foster Father".