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Okay, Roger thinks, maybe they could have planned this out a little better.
It's not like not saving Shakky was ever an option: even if Roger and the rest of the crew weren't half in love with her themselves, neither hell nor high water would've stopped Rayleigh from haring off after her. They had to go to God Valley, and that meant they were going to fight Celestial Dragons and God's Knights--
But Roger hadn't quite expected having to deal with the Rocks Pirates and the Marines on top of that. The Marines in general aren't really the problem; it's Garp that Roger is a little worried about. Normally, he'd be thrilled to take on his cannon-throwing enemy-friend. But right now, he's another factor in a mess that has grown far beyond what any of them could have predicted. Just this once, Roger sort of wishes they'd been a little more prepared.
Well! No use regretting things. Especially not when it's still going-- sort of well? Rayleigh has Shakky and they're hightailing it back to the Oro, the crew is making a nuisance of themselves to distract the God's Knights (and acquire as much treasure as possible-- bonus!) and there's something on the other side of the island that pulls at Roger's Observation Haki, like an anchor dropped in a net, setting all his instincts to scream threat, but it's far enough that Roger's crew can probably get out from under it before it starts wreaking havoc. Whatever it is.
Which is when something else drops into the net of Roger's Observation, much closer, much sharper-- much more afraid. Roger can't quite figure out what it is, but when he senses a bright hot burst of pain, and then something much more threatening bearing down on the smaller Voice, he starts running.
He doesn't register anything more than God's Knight, reaching before he draws his sword and hits the Knight with all the Haki he can muster. She recoils, screaming in pain, and drops whatever she was holding in one hand. Roger catches it.
Oh shit. That's a baby.
He turns to see the frightened shape that he originally caught his attention, and finds himself looking at a young Marine cadet, bleeding heavily from one shoulder and curled around a second baby, obviously twin to the one now held haphazardly in Roger's arms.
Huh. That's why he couldn't figure out what he was feeling. Not one Voice, but three.
The cadet is just a kid, really. He looks at Roger with wide, terrified eyes, and bares his teeth, fledgling Armament crackling. "Let go of him!" The kid shouts, voice cracking.
Something about that Haki makes Roger think he should know the kid, but . . . Nah. He'd remember a cadet brave and foolish enough to try to save a couple of babies from a God's Knight.
"I don't think you can hold both of them with your arm busted like that," Roger points out, as mildly as he can manage.
The kid shakes his head. "I have to-- Their mother--" He's dangerously close to hyperventilating, but his expression is set in steely determination and, damn but Roger is so sure that he should know this kid. He knows that expression, he's certain.
"Okay," Roger says, "then let's get all three of you off this island." The kid's Marine career was dead in the water the moment he showed the Celestial Dragons any disrespect, much less pitted himself against a God's Knight. The least Roger can do is give the kid a lift out of here, especially since the God's Knight hunting him was one less Knight getting in Rayleigh's way.
The kid looks at him with the eyes of a hunted hare: wild and afraid and defiant to the end. Roger shifts his grip on the baby in his arms, holding it more gently in case the kid tries to snatch it from him.
Then the kid stands slowly, stumbling, steps forward, and nods. "Okay," he says quietly.
Roger lights up. "Great!" he says. "Let's find the rest of the crew and get you an escort to the Oro in case any more of those bastards show up looking for the babies--"
His head snaps up, and he looks out towards that massive weight in his Haki. It's moving. It's dangerous.
Okay. Hand the kid off to Rayleigh or Gaban, then go deal with whatever that is. Hey, now he has a plan!
-----
Roger feels sort of like he went one on one with a brick wall. Or a two hundred meter drop off a cliff. Without Haki. His bones hurt. The rest of him hurts too, but it's unfair for his bones to hurt. They're not supposed to make themselves known. Stupid bones.
Man, they really have him on the good stuff this time.
When he first woke up, Rayleigh told him somberly that Rocks is dead, his crew scattered to who-knows-where. They handed Garp off to the Marines before setting sail; Roger has some misgivings about that, but Rayleigh pointed out that they simply couldn't afford to have Garp on board with Roger incapacitated. Roger had grumbled and pouted-- but he knows his first mate is right. Garp had made it clear he wasn't leaving the Marines, even when he was punching a massive Celestial Dragon-turned-monster and saving civilians from the Hunt. Doesn't make Roger feel any better when he wonders if they handed Garp right into the wolves' den.
At least they got one Marine out of there.
The cadet-- former cadet-- is Roger's roommate in the infirmary. He's been quiet and thoughtful the past two days, occupying himself mostly with taking care of the babies. The babies themselves don't seem any the worse for wear, despite a few bruises and abrasions. and Roger quickly finds that watching the two of them is the most enjoyable entertainment he gets while locked in the infirmary. They're just so little. So fragile and small and alive, all curiosity and fascination. To them, the world is huge and extraordinary, everything new and astonishing. There's something to be learned from that, Roger thinks.
The kid has said that their names are Shanks and Shamrock. He has not, Roger notices, introduced himself. That's okay. He can just be "the kid" until he gives a name. Doesn't have to be his name, even. He can give himself whatever alias seems cool, if he likes. Teenagers like cool aliases, right?
For the first day (at least, the first day that Roger was conscious), the kid seemed to be in shock. But about halfway through the second, Shakky had arrived with Rayleigh in tow to thank Roger for his part in saving her. The kid listened carefully to everything she said, his expression slowly darkening. Since then, the fear and shock have started to crack, revealing a deep rage underneath.
Looks like the kid is having some epiphanies about the world. Good for him! Roger is trying to decide how long is reasonable to let him grieve the life he'd thought he wanted before he offers the kid a spot on the Oro. He might not match up with the rest of the crew yet in terms of power, but he's got a sort of raw courage that makes Roger want to see what he's going to do next.
Day three, Rayleigh comes in, a dark frown dragging down his brows. It's the first time he's looked this grave since they'd rescued Shakky. "Roger," he says, "can I talk to you?"
Roger drags himself upright, glancing over at the kid and the babies. The kid is watching him, but looks away when Roger meets his eyes. With a shrug, Roger follows Rayleigh into the hallway.
Ray produces a newspaper from inside his coat. "Look at this."
Roger looks at the headline and whistles low. "Well, shit. Guess we should've brought him with us after all."
Garp the Fist Goes Rogue! Former Marine Turns Traitor!
"Glad he got out of there before they could arrest him at least," Roger says, glancing at the first few lines of the article, which warn that the traitor Marine is still at large.
"I don't know," Ray says quietly. "Something's odd about it. They're not saying anything about God Valley, obviously, but it says here that he destroyed part of Marineford. That means they brought him back to Marineford instead of trying to take him straight to Enies Lobby to stand trial."
Roger blinks. "Huh."
"There's a few other things, but-- Roger, I don't think this is because of what he did at God Valley. I think something made Garp turn traitor."
Roger thinks about that for a moment. Then he pales. "Oh, shit."
"Yeah," Rayleigh agrees.
Because-- if Garp was still determined to stay with the Marines at God Valley, while the Celestial Dragons were killing the civilians he was supposed to protect and the Elder Stars turned monstrous and terrible-- if even then, he refused Roger's offer to leave the Marines and join his crew, then what the hell would actually make him leave?
-----
Dragon is missing.
The thought drags at Garp's ribs, tightening his chest and making every breath hurt. His kid is missing. Apparently disappeared off the face of the earth, vanishing from under the eyes of his commanding officer and the rest of his platoon, like he'd never existed at all.
Dragon is missing. Dragon had been on God Valley.
Those two facts together paint a dire picture.
Despite his expectations, Garp had woken up on Marineford, with the news that he was going to receive a commendation for taking down Rocks. That, he'd said, was bullshit. Sengoku had let him rant about that for a while. Too long, Garp should have realized, but he'd been a little distracted.
When he'd finally run out of things to say and settled into petulant grumbling, Sengoku had taken a careful breath. "There's something else," he'd said cautiously.
And then he'd handed over a report from Dragon's commanding officer. A report that accused the boy of insubordination, of questioning orders, and, ultimately, of desertion.
Garp had read it twice. Noted details. What was said. What wasn't. Thought about his determined, righteous son, with his inflexible moral code and need to do the right thing, regardless of how hard it was. His brave, idealistic boy.
Then he'd got up and gone to find a ship.
He refuses to believe his son is dead. Maybe that's the clear conclusion the facts offer-- Dragon would never just let civilians die while he still breathed, and the God's Knights would've been happy to kill a cadet at the first sign of defiance-- but Garp will not believe it. There's no body to bury, so his boy can't be dead. Dragon is his son. He's got more spine and strength than most of the officers in the Marines. He can't just die. Even at God Valley, where the greatest monsters of the world fought each other until the island came down around them--
No. He can't be gone.
If Garp had been thinking, he would've been a little more careful. He hadn't really meant to expedite his resignation quite so efficiently. But he'd run into Dragon's commanding officer on the way to the port. The man had made a sneering comment about Dragon. Called him a deserter. Said it was such a shame that he didn't take after his father.
Garp had seen red.
He punched the man through a wall. Several walls. Okay, so he'd left a building in pieces. He doesn't think that's an overreaction.
The Marines have labelled him a traitor for it. Fine. He can live with that. He ignores the way it rips something open in his chest, leaving him raw and bleeding. Careful and sneaky is more Sengoku's speed anyway. Garp's more built for brute-forcing a problem. So what that he doesn't have Marine ships or manpower or information or any of his friends and allies on his side? It just means he doesn't have to worry about doing things the Marine way.
So, step one: go find Roger and ask him for a ride back to God Valley. Roger might be an asshole with an overinflated ego and no respect for the rules, but he's not a monster. Garp trusts him, in the way you can really only trust an honourable enemy. He'll understand, when Garp explains what's going on. And maybe someone on his crew saw something. A clue. Somewhere to start.
Roger probably won't be able to help. He was busy fighting that thing that took over Rock's body, just like Garp was.
Because Garp had been more worried about fighting Roger than taking care of the Marines on God Valley. And he hadn't even known that his son was one of the Marines. What a fucking hypocrite he is. What a terrible father.
He's been sailing for a week now, working off of what little Marine intelligence he was able to grab before his hasty exit from Marineford and his own knowledge of Roger's habits. The Oro Jackson came into view on the horizon a few hours ago. They could have outrun Garp's piddly little boat, but instead he's pretty sure they've slowed down to meet him.
Guess they heard the news.
Roger's probably going to ask him to join his crew again. Garp's going to have to refuse, and he can only hope Roger doesn't use Garp's desperation against him. But if Roger says he'll only take Garp to God Valley if Garp agrees to join his crew-- well.
Garp can swallow his pride. For Dragon's sake.
When the Oro is in cannonball-throwing reach, Garp sees Roger climb onto the railing and leap, followed quickly by Rayleigh. They both land on his ship, Rayleigh lightly and Roger with a little less than his usual grace.
"You're supposed to be in the infirmary still," Rayleigh growls in Roger's ear.
Roger laughs, and waves him away. When he looks at Garp, his usual good humour is tempered by a solemnity that Garp doesn't usually see on Roger-- though, he supposes it was there last time they met, too.
It's been a hell of a week.
"So, did you decide to take me up on my offer?" Roger says with a grin. "Never thought I'd see you out of Marine whites."
"No," Garp grinds out. "I've got more important things to worry about. I need to go back to God Valley."
Roger's expression shifts. His head tips to the side. "What, did you leave something behind?"
It's not meant to be an attack. But it hits like a knife between his ribs. "Maybe," he says. "I'm trying to figure that out."
Roger slowly tips his head to the opposite side, smile melting into something more like concern.
Gritting his teeth, Garp swallows. "My son is missing," he says. "He's been accused of desertion. And-- he was on God Valley."
Roger's mouth opens in a silent, ah, unspoken understanding. Rayleigh exhales, breath hissing through his teeth.
"Garp," Rayleigh starts carefully.
"Don't," Garp replies. "He's not dead. He's my boy. He's not just going to keel over and die. If you're not going to help, just tell me now so I can get on the right course. I've wasted enough time already trying to find you miscreants."
"No," Roger says, nodding decisively. "We'll get you there."
"Captain," Rayleigh says, sounding pained. He'd probably get on well with Bogard, Garp thinks. Another stab through his ribs, remembering that Bogard will be his enemy the next time they meet.
"Come on, Ray," Roger says, with his sunshine and chaos smile, "don't you want to help an old friend?"
Rayleigh sighs. "This is not my problem," he informs both of them. "I'm going to go tell Shakky what the plan is." He leaps back towards the Oro.
"You did get her out, then?" Garp asks. He adjusts the ship's rudder, directing it to come up alongside the Oro.
"Yeah," Roger says, settling in beside him to help. "She's doing better, now. Don't try to flirt with her, though, or Rayleigh will take your face off."
Garp nods in polite agreement. He believes Roger, of course. But privately he's a lot more worried about what Shakky would do to him.
-----
It's hard to get to know someone you meet mostly across battlefield, but Roger would say he knows Garp fairly well regardless. They're similar people, despite their differences in morals.
But he's never seen his old-- rival? Rival, sure. He's never seen his old rival like this. Not even back before they became sort-of-friends, back when Garp had been trying to capture him for real and not just for a good fight.
He'd known Garp had a son, but only vaguely. A teenager, old enough to join the Marines. That doesn't seem right: wasn't Garp's son a baby only a couple years ago? Hell, is Roger getting old?
But Garp is too quiet. His shoulders slump. He asked for help. Roger's sort of . . . No. Roger is worried about him.
Rayleigh's right. Garp's son is probably dead, no matter how deep in denial Garp may be. That's the real reason Roger had agreed to bring him back to God Valley. Not because he's really willing to go back, or go anywhere near that place ever again. But because he wants someone to be there when the denial breaks, and Garp has to contend with the full weight of the death of his child.
And just when Roger was starting to think that things were looking up.
A thought occurs to him as he and Garp climb aboard the Oro, with Garp's little ship lashed to the side to be towed along with it. "Hey, I know something that might cheer you up," he says, clapping a hand on Garp's shoulder and ignoring the combination of horrified/stunned/confused looks the crewmembers on deck are giving him. "We picked up another Marine on God Valley. He was just a cadet, I think, but he was saving a couple babies from a God's Knight! Hell of a kid. I think you'll like him."
Across the deck, Rayleigh blinks. Straightens. Looks over at Roger with wide eyes, like he's about to say something even he can't believe. But Roger is distracted from wondering what's up with his first mate when he hears an intake of breath from Garp, and then the door leading belowdecks bursts open and the kid stumbles out. Looks up. Meets Garp's eyes.
The hitch in Garp's breath makes Roger look over at his friend, to confirm the truth of what he hears. Sure enough-- Garp's crying.
"Dragon," he says hoarsely.
The kid-- Garp's kid-- stumbles forward, straight into Garp's arms. Garp scoops his kid into a desperate hug, holding onto him like his arms are the only thing keeping the kid together, like he might turn to smoke and vanish if Garp lets go. He tightens his grip on the kid's shirt, holding him against his chest.
"Dad," the kid-- whose name is Dragon, no wonder he never gave a cool alias! He doesn't need one with a name like that-- says, muffled into Garp's shoulder. "What are you doing here, aren't you--"
"Thought you were dead," Garp says into his kid's hair.
The kid goes silent.
Well. Maybe it's easier to admit you were in denial when you don't have to be anymore.
The kid is shivering slightly. He's pale, seeming almost shocky. "'M not going back."
"I know." Garp cups the back of his head when he pulls back to look at his kid's face. "Punched your commanding officer."
The kid inhales shakily. He looks like he's trying not to cry. He's failing. "And-- I'm not sorry."
Garp pulls him close again, maybe just so that the kid can't see the absolutely shattered expression on his face. "I know, kid. You don't need to apologize to anyone."
That's the last Roger hears, as he slips off the deck and down into the infirmary to check on the babies. Hopefully, that'll encourage the rest of the crew to give Garp and Dragon a bit of privacy. Shamrock and Shanks are in their crib, making fussy noises. They quiet as soon as Roger leans over them, so they were probably just upset that their babysitter suddenly disappeared. Roger looks between them and shrugs, scooping them both up carefully. Garp's kid says that's not how you're supposed to carry babies, but they seem fine. Resilient little brats.
They're warm and small, fine red hair already growing thicker than it had been when Dragon had first brought them aboard. Roger bounces them carefully, listening to Shanks giggle, and carries them back up to the deck.
"Oi, Garp!" Roger calls, feeling a mischievous grin grow. "Want to meet your grandsons?"
Garp stiffens. Dragon makes a faint noise of protest, either because of Roger's words or because Garp is squashing his already injured shoulder. With how, Garp releases him immediately, it might be the latter. Garp tries to fix Roger with a fierce scowl, but it softens as soon as he sees the babies.
Dragon squirms out from Garp's arms while he's distracted (though, Roger notes, he still sticks close against his dad's side).
"You're holding them wrong," Garp says gruffly.
"Yeah, that's what your kid keeps saying," Roger agrees cheerfully, letting Garp take Shamrock out of his arms. Garp holds him with uncharacteristic care. Dragon leans over his arm to wave at the baby, making Shamrock reach up wonderingly towards Dragon's fingers.
"What are you going to do with them?" Garp asks.
Huh. Well, that's a pretty big question. Roger should probably talk to his crew, have a serious discussion with Rayleigh, consider his options carefully . . .
Nah.
"We're keeping them, of course!"
Roger ignores the wheezing, horrified "What?" from Gaban, and the way he bolts belowdecks, probably looking for Rayleigh to run damage control.
Garp straightens, shielding the baby as if Roger had threatened him. "You can't keep them!"
"Why not?"
"You're pirates!"
"So are you, basically!"
Garp blinks. Then he points at Roger emphatically. (Dragon makes an anxious noise and scoops Shamrock out of Garp's other arm as he does.) "You called them my grandsons, so they should be mine!"
"Nope!" Roger says cheerfully. "Your kid gave them to us to protect, so they're ours now!" That's sort of stretching the truth, but Garp doesn't know that, and Dragon just shrugs, brushing a gentle hand over Shamrock's hair. Aw, cute.
Garp sputters, turning to his kid. "You can't give them to pirates!"
"Sure I can," Dragon says with a shrug. Roger is going to take that as him giving Roger his blessing. "I can't take care of them. I'm going to be busy."
"Doing what?"
Dragon looks up at his father, eyes set and striking. There's that steel again. Oh, that's why he seemed so familiar! "Overthrowing the World Government."
For a few moments following his son's declaration, Garp is stunned silent. Roger looks between them for a moment, then throws back his head and roars with laugher. Against his chest, he can feel Shanks burst into tiny, high-pitched giggles of delight.
Garp shakes his head and sighs. "You're a bad influence," he tells Roger.
"He's your son!" Roger points out. "You're the one who went and smashed up Marineford."
Garp considers this for a moment. Then he looks down at Dragon, who's still so full of that youthful determination. "Well, shit." He lets his massive hand rest on Dragon's head. Dragon blinks up at his father. "Guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from my boy."
The tension seeps out of Dragon's shoulders, and Roger's smile widens. "That's settled, then!" he says, and gestures to Rayleigh, who's finally come back on deck and is watching with vague horror. "Ray! Break out the booze! It's time for a party!"
"Not around the babies!" Dragon yelps, and Roger roars with laughter again.
Look at that. It all worked out after all.