Chapter Text
Shanks stopped when he heard Makino say that, there was no way he had heard that. There was no way the child had survived. He couldn't believe that he had heard that, couldn't help but ask Makino to make sure.
“M- Makino, can you repeat that? The names, those names of Anchor's brothers.”
A giggle sounded over the den den mushi, before Makino started to speak again, “I said that Luffy found himself two brothers, Ace and Sabo. They grew up in the forest and on the trash heap. While they aren't as wild as Luffy is, they are certainly feral. It's adorable to see the three of them together. If I didn't know better, I would say that they are all brothers too, Ace and Luffy especially looking so alike. Sabo is blond, but the structure of his face is quite similar to Ace and Luffy's”
It's the name that does it, taking him back to a ship he once called home and a man seemingly larger than life who was like a father to him.
“If I ever have a son, Shanks, I'm going to call him Ace. And if it's a girl, she'll be named Ann. They are going to be amazing, mark my words. I won't have anyone telling me differently.”
His captain had laughed, before his eyes turned softer as he added that Shanks and Buggy would be the child's big brothers. Looking towards the South, where they knew Rouge was. Knowing what he did now, it made sense that Rouge would be the one that carried his child. Still, at the time, he hadn't believed that it would happen. They were younger, the Captain had just become Pirate King and they were on top of the world. There was no time for children, not at that moment. But they hadn't let that stop them, Buggy and Shanks adding to the what ifs and future planning. Dreaming about what might happen in the future. A future that would never be, as Captain Roger was executed about a year after that moment and while rumors about a child circulated, Shanks was certain that not even Portgas D. Rouge could live though that.
The things the marines did in the South, and on Baterilla especially weren't a secret on the seas. More than one of them had lost family there, he knew that several of the Old Man's commanders joined him because of what happened to women they knew.
But now, that name. Hearing the name the Captain always mentioned calling his son, the same name as his sword. No matter how absurd, while Ann had been Rouge's. It seemed so unreal, but here a child was who carried that name. A little boy, that could be the child that Roger had been dreaming about at that moment.
There was just one more thing to check, making him speak before thinking it through.
“Makino, Ace, what is his last name?”
The woman stayed quiet for a little bit, “Portgas, Portgas D. Ace, he told me.”
His break catches in his throat, to know that at least the child survived. That is hadn't been the end of his captain's life. There had indeed been a child, but he had been kept hidden. He didn't want to know how, but he was grateful for whoever had helped in making sure that Ace survived.
He wants to turn around and head back to Dawn. He never should have left there so suddenly, Luffy's tearful eyes still haunt him. However, he can't just leave now. He's more than ready to be a power in the New World, but to do that he needs to be in the New World too.
But hearing that, knowing this, he feels something pulling him back East. He'll go back there before he planned on it. He needed to see those boys.
“I... Is he... Does he have freckles?”
Huffing, he can hear that Makino finds it an odd question to ask. She hesitates for a moment, but she answers, “He does, as well as gray eyes and wavy shoulder length hair. Shanks, what is this all about?”
Biting his lip, Shanks takes a moment to try and find the right words. For all that Makino was used to his antics, he didn't want her to think that he meant anything bad to Ace or Luffy, “I knew his parents, I'm quite sure who they were and it hurts that they're not around to see their son. He sounds so amazing, I'm happy he lived.”
Makino also sighs, “He doesn't talk about his parents, seems to hate his father even, the few times he was mentioned. He never talks about his mother either, every time she gets brought up he runs off. Dadan, she's the woman raising them, he told me that Ace's mother died in childbirth not long after Garp arrived at her bedside. It... I wouldn't put it past the old man to tell him that.”
His heart hurt at hearing that, thinking about the woman who stole his captain's heart and who had always been there to look over Buggy and himself. She was perfect as a mother, she had been his mother in a way, so to know that she wasn't alive anymore hurt.
Knowing that Garp had saved Ace, especially as he had been the one led Roger to his dead seemed to double. But as Makino said, he wouldn't put it past the old man to tell a child that thinking he would be able to understand what was meant. Without anyone present to tell him about his parents he can understand his hatred for Roger. The rumors that circulated about the captain that he saw as his father hurt even him and he's a grown man.
“I see... That's unfortunate. She was a wonderful woman, Portgas D. Rouge. A real spitfire.”
Makino laughed at that, mentioning that Ace looked like her in that regard, although if he had to believe the barmaid then the boy had the captain's glare.
Laughing, feeling like a weight let go of his chest at the knowledge that not all was lost. Another reason why he might just need to head back to the East soon. He missed Luffy and he would love to meet the kid that could have been his little brother.
“Give Anchor my regards, Makino, as well as Ace and Sabo. I can't wait to see the two of them as well.”
As he disconnected the call, Shanks couldn't help but think that his heart soared. There was still a piece of the captain and Ms. Rouge out there, alone he might think he was, he knew that as soon as he told Blue and Ray, they would be just as happy as he way.
“A part survived, that's all that I need.”
Looking at Beck, he sees his first mate piecing together the pieces, looking at him with that knowing look in his eyes. He knew that he had chosen well when he took Beck as his first mate. No matter that later on their would be more blossoming between them.
He was also aware that it had hurt Beck so much to leave Luffy behind, a chance to see their Anchor again sooner than expected wouldn't stop him.
“Let's check in on the New World before he set back out to the East, love.”
Grinning at Beck, Shanks nodded in agreement, he would be more than able to wait that long. He looked forward to it already.
“Let's do that.”
It was after checking up on their territories and setting out back East, that Makino called frantic as she mentioned that something was going on with the boys. She couldn't explain it but the few times she had seen them they were skittish.
“It's like someone is hunting them, which is quite a feat as they are able to hunt the game on Dawn. I don't know about this, Shanks, something seems wrong here.”
Exchanging looks with Beck, they pulled their sails and made use of the wind picking up. They needed to get to Dawn and it seemed that the seas were in agreement with them.
Assuring Makino, Shanks was off of the Red Force as soon as they were docked. Letting his haki spread and make his way to where he could feel Luffy.
His anchor seemed stressed, almost as he was held captive or detained while in distress. It had him making haste and fuming when he saw the group of grown man around the three kids. They were defenseless and the stuck up idiot doing the talking seemed to be a noble.
“And just what do you think you're doing?”
His last word was laced with haki, making a good number of the thugs sway. It was nice to know he still had it, their eyes were directed towards him, knowing he didn't seem like much now with just one arm.
But a ping of his haki let him know that Beck was in place, his husband would kill anyone who tried to hurt those boys.
One of the thugs tried his lugs and fell back screaming as he clutched what had once been his hand. Three fingers were shot clean off, the same hand he had tried to grasp Luffy.
“Well? Taking on children, aren't you ashamed of yourself?”
The noble huffed and puffed, before Shanks turned his eyes on the man and let his haki loose. It was almost laughable how the man started to sweat, trying to break eye contact and finding that he couldn't.
“You're going to let go of the kid, man.”
He did as much, giving Sabo the possibility to run towards Luffy and Ace. Both who were looking at Shanks. Ace in distrust, and how the boy looked like his father at that moment.
Luffy on the other hand, looked star struck. Stepping forward to bury in his side, “Shanks.”
Patting Anchor on his head, grinning at the strawhat he had placed there and the way it was still so big on his little head, “Hey Anchor.”
Turning his eyes back onto the thugs, he tilted an eyebrow and made to step forward. Making them all fall over themselves to get away Except for one of them, who charged towards Shanks and the kids. Never coming even close before a bullet from Beck hit him in between the eyes.
“Are you all okay?”
Luffy nodded in his side, still, Shanks pulled him back a little to look him over. Seeing the way Ace and Sabo tensed but let him do as much. They stood there, obviously not knowing what to do now. They didn't seem to be used to a lot of adult supervision.
“Makino told me something was going on, I guess that they were the something?”
Luffy nodded, before he just started talking. Even when Sabo and Ace tried to stop him from spilling everything. Shanks was well aware that this was Luffy coping with it all, mentioning that Bluejam had been able to find them a while before and when they slighted him he had taken offense.
Sabo's biological father found out and instead of forgetting he had a son, he did everything he could to get Sabo back.
“Don't worry, kid, he isn't going to come back anytime soon.”
Taking a hold of Luffy's hand he led them towards Makino's bar, seeing Ace and Sabo follow at a distance that was enough for now. He would bring them to Makino so either the Doctor or Hongo could look them over.
Luffy was swinging their hands up and down, making Shanks smile all the more. Especially when Beck showed up and Luffy hugged him too, almost too tightly even, going from Beck's face.
“Anchor, let him go. Beck still needs to breath, we're going to Makino's so you can all be looked over. That had to be scary and downright horrible what had happened.”
Part of him wanted to go back and hunt down every one of those sorry bastards who had hunted these boys. But that might be for another time, right now he needed to make sure the boys were alright.
Beck's hand on his back told him that his husband wanted to do the same thing, that he wished he had shot more of them when he had the chance. They would get their revenge, or at least make sure that none of those people were able to get to the boys.
What to do had to be decided, but leaving them here alone wasn't an option.