Author: Dr Blueneck

Disclaimer: One Piece = Oda's property.

Hi people! Here is a new treat for you, I hope you'll enjoy it. I'm trying my hand at something a bit new (still love writing crack and hurt/comfort, but for this, I'll aim for something more lighthearted… Pray with me for no sneak attack from the Angst Lord…)

I'm sorry for any remaining mistakes. I've written it in a bout of insomnia, so… yeah…

WHAT IF…?

The sun was just beginning to rise on the silent hills of Baterilla. One lonely home, overseeing the sea from a cliff, had still lights pouring through the badly shut curtains of the windows, and shadows were running to and fro, a sense of rush in their movements. It wasn't long before the sea began sparkling with the first rays of light, and over the roaring waves smashing against rocks, the fresh cries of a newborn could be heard.

Maybe, in another life, had Rouge been able to stall the birth for a few more days, when Garp was supposed to arrive, her baby would've known quite a different fate. But Rouge couldn't, and she still smiled when she was handed the boy ("Ace… Your name is Gol D. Ace, my darling boy…") who curled up against her bosom. And as she cast a look at the sky tinged with pink and orange hues, she let out her last breath, a sweet grin on her pale face, thinking that it was indeed a nice day for her boy to be born.

"Rouge-san?" one of the two maids tending to her asked, gently touching her shoulder, but no reply came. She took the baby from the mother's unresponsive arms, and turned for guidance to the older maid who seemed as lost as she was. It was too early! Someone was supposed to be there to take the infant, but Rouge-san never told them who it was…

As they were starting to panic (because they had a fair inkling about whose child it was), three loud knocks echoed through the little house, making the wooden door tremble. The first maid made to approach it, afraid of who was behind it, but the newcomer didn't wait for her and kicked it open. The two women barely could stifle their cry of surprise as a tall blond man entered the abode, a grim look on his weathered face. In four big strides, he was at Rouge's side. The oldest maid was about to launch herself at him, afraid that he would desecrate the poor woman, but stopped when she saw how carefully he put a hand on her arm, eyes closed to the world. It was only for a minute, but the tall, formidable man transformed into the broken shards of a human, shoulders sagging as if carrying the whole world on them.

Finally, he let out a deep sigh and turned towards the maid holding the sleeping baby. He held out his arms, silently asking for her to pass him. A smile stretched his lips when he saw her hesitation.

"Didn't Rouge tell you? I was sent for Ace. I'm his father's friend."

And she relented (because, really, who but an acquaintance would know about Rouge-san's choice of name?) The man was careful, almost reverent when he took the baby who was fidgeting in his sleep. Without taking his eyes off the newborn, he said, "Thank you for your help."

It was sincere, and they could hear it in his raw voice and see it in the glistening of his eyes. They didn't tell him that they did it out of fear and never really wanted any part in this birth. They didn't tell him that had he never come, they would have surely abandoned the boy somewhere in the back alleys – or worse, surrendered him to the Marines. Instead, they lowered their head and gazed at the floor as he whispered something in the dead woman's ear ("I'm sorry that… wish I could take y-… -on't worry… -ce is safe now.") before disappearing through the broken door, losing sight of him as he descended the hills.

This is how Ace ended up living in a cabana on the other side of the peaceful island, hidden between rocks and palm trees and facing the bright sea of South Blue; unaware of the strong Marine who came two days later only to hear about Rouge's death and no-one able to tell him where the newborn was.

This is not what Rayleigh imagined for himself when Roger died. He never wanted a child (too much of a hassle) and didn't know what to do with his life now that his pirate days were over.

And then he heard about Garp heading towards Baterilla, and remembered Rouge; the young, fierce woman who wouldn't bend under Roger and wasn't afraid to butt heads with the pirate. He never really understood Roger's infatuation, but grew fond of the woman who was too attached to her land to ever think about joining them. He had feared, at the beginning, that she would somewhat bewitched his captain into leaving his crew to live like a civilian. And when he tried to subtly confront her, she had the galls to laugh at him ("Really, I should be the jealous one. I knew from the start that he belongs to the sea and his crew. I'm just glad to have his love.")

He knew why Garp was going there, and suspected that Roger succeeded in providing a safe haven for his child. But frankly, would Rayleigh let a former enemy raise his captain's child? Would he take the chance, and maybe put Rouge's baby in harm way? He knew the Marines… He heard about what they did to all the newborns of Baterilla after Roger's execution…

This reminder was all he needed to set sail for the island, not stopping until reaching it and having the little Ace secured in his arms. As the first mate, it was his job to ensure his captain's wellbeing. Now that he was gone, Roger's son was his to protect.

Rayleigh won't lie: he struggled a bit, at the beginning. The kid was always crying, and seemed to never sleep when Rayleigh wanted to sleep. He even considered several times to drop the offending brat into the ocean, but refrained from the sheer fear of having to deal with Rouge and Roger after he died. Sometimes, he begged the little shit to stop screaming, in the brink of tears himself, and other times, the pirate just screamed along with him, startling Ace into silence for a few seconds before he began bawling his eyes out anew – and a new diaper needed to be changed.

The pirate often wondered how he didn't become crazy, with the snotty baby as sole company. But they made it through, and Ace learnt how to walk, how to talk – how to punch, too, and maybe Rayleigh was a little too proud of the first scar Ace gave him.

The more Ace grew, the longer Rayleigh spent time away on his travels. The sea was always calling to him, and even though he felt a pang of guilt when Ace would look at him with blank eyes (the same eyes as Roger, and it was like a punch in the guts when childish disappointment shone in them), Rayleigh would still set sail, promising the boy new souvenirs from his trips. Deep down, he knew that he was not the best when caring for Ace, but he tried, and he stayed, and he comforted himself by thinking that maybe. Maybe that's more than what Garp would've done.

Ace… Ace was a quiet boy. He never blamed Uncle Rayleigh for choosing the sea over him (how could he, when he saw the faraway look in the man's eyes when talking about his adventures with his late father?), and as long as the old man came back, he was fine with it.

He learnt from a young age how to fend for himself, and enjoyed more or less fishing to pass time and sell his catch. The villagers were nice to him, though he could still hear them talking among themselves of how odd the young boy was, always shut away in the old cabana on the beach. Ace didn't mind: it meant less people bugging him, and more time to laze around, barefoot, enjoying the warm sand beneath his toes.

He won't lie: it's true that when Uncle Rayleigh was away, it got lonely pretty quick. That's why Ace would take his little dinghy and float around the island, sunbathing on the wooden floor and waiting for fish to bit on his hook. He'd watch the clouds, imagining stories for each and every one of them, before casting a longing glance at the horizon, wondering if someday, he'd find it in him to leave Baterilla behind and explore the world.

Uncle Rayleigh talked constantly about how great his father was, and that one day, Ace would surely carry on his legacy. And even though Ace tended to grin placidly, he was not so sure of that. It's not that he didn't feel the call of the sea (after all, he spent his days and nights, ass on the sand, staring at the waves as if hoping they would sweep him away), but the thought of leaving his mother's land behind him was overwhelming. It was the only link he had with her ("What of her body? Where is she buried, Uncle Rayleigh?" – "I do not know, Ace. Somewhere in a communal slot, I presume… I wasn't quick enough to retrieve her body.") and somehow, the idea of following on his father's steps felt like betraying his mother and telling the world that he didn't care about her sacrifice.

And so he waited, selfishly hoping to find one day a good reason to leave Baterilla, without hating himself.

He was twenty when his life took the biggest turn he could expect (for worse or better, he still didn't know.)

Uncle Rayleigh had been away for the better part of a year, but Ace wasn't worried as his Vivre Card was still whole. And as far as he was concerned, the old man could die for all he cared (he was still pissed at him for treating him like a coward! How was it his business if Ace didn't want to leave Baterilla? Rayleigh knew nothing.)

The young man stretched and his boat rocked under him. He felt sleepy, and gauged the number of fish in his bucket – enough for a few thousand Bellies. Satisfied, he made to go for his oars when something floating in the water caught his eye.

"A barrel…?"

Intrigued, he waited for it to come near his boat and deftly hoisted it aboard. It was kind of heavy, so Ace hoped for something good – like booze. Already rubbing his hands at his found, he started prying the top open and was surprised when the barrel trembled under his hands before the lid went flying and someone – and what the fuck was a human doing in a barrel? – burst out of it.

There was a second of silence during which Ace took the time to assess his life (and he blamed Rayleigh for all the weird shit happening around him) before surprise really settled in.

"EEEEEHHHHHH?!"

"AAAAAH! I thought I was gonna succofate! Thanks for helping me out, man!"

Ace didn't think twice. He took an oar and just smashed it into the stranger's face. He was panicking a bit, okay? Sure, he was no wuss and could take anyone in a fight, but come on, what was a man to do when expecting some alcohol out of a barrel and getting an illiterate Jack-in-the-box instead?

It's true that he might have gone too hard on the poor guy – after all, he never really wanted to kill the damn boy, and he winced a bit when the neck bent at an unnatural angle (Rayleigh did tell him that he didn't know his own strength) but his guilt was short-lived as he saw the head coming back right where it should be and oh God what is fucking wrong with that human?!

Could you really blame Ace for insisting on whacking the dude on the head? Because it clearly had no effect, and maybe Ace was beginning to completely freak out. Maybe. Possibly.

"WHY WON'T YOU DIE, YOU WEIRDO?!"

"EEEH?! YOU WANNA KILL ME?! SOMEBODY, HEEELLLLP!"

"I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD YELL FOR HELP! DIE, ALREADY, DIE!"

The boat was dangerously rocking beneath them, and the stranger lost his footing and just grabbed onto Ace, visibly distraught.

"SHIT! I can't swim, make it stop!"

And Ace became very still, and the boy gulped when he saw the crazed glint in the other's eyes before being scooped from the floor and dangled over the sea. He yelped and tried to escape the tight grip, but Ace was having none of that.

"Who the hell are you?"

The stupid boy (because you had to be stupid to smile toothily to someone threatening to kill you) instantly stopped his struggle to reply cheerfully, "Yo! I'm Luffy! I'm gonna be the next Pirate King!"

A smirk stretched Ace's lips. "You? A pirate?"

And he tried hard not to laugh at the thought. After years of living with Rayleigh, the right hand of the infamous Gol D. Roger, Ace just couldn't see this small kid (what was he? Fourteen, at most?) snatching the title away (and Ace won't admit that it kind of bothered him that a total stranger wanted to take his father's place, even though he couldn't give two shits about the man he never knew).

But it was apparently the wrong thing to say as the boy's cheeks burnt a bright red and he started to yell at him. He didn't really listen, too busy trying to salvage his hearing from the screaming banshee. Finally, he let Luffy drop at the bottom of his boat, deeming him too stupid to mean him any harm.

"Listen, kid, I'll try asking around and see if someone can lend you a boat, so you can go back to wherever your home is. I think I still got a map of South Blue, somewhere in my uncle's stuff—" he was cut off by a new scream that almost made him let go of the oars.

"We're in South Blue?!"

"Well, yeah, of course…"

The kid seemed dumbfounded, and clearly confused. So Ace took it upon him to ask, "Why are you so surprised? Aren't you from a neighboring island? Surely you didn't drift all the way here from Grand Line!"

His joke falls flat as Luffy just stared at him with vacant eyes, as if waiting for a punchline that never came. It was Ace's turn to be dumbfounded and he kept glancing at the remains of the barrel and Luffy in turn, waving his oars around. "So, wait! You really spent the whole trip from Grand Line to here in a barrel?! How did you even survive?"

Luffy started picking his nose. "Well. I don't know. I took a nap."

This must be a joke. It was a set-up. Rayleigh was hiding somewhere and laughing his ass off. There was no other explanation.

"I don't even—I'm just—You know what? Never mind. We'll get you a boat, and then you'll scram. I'm so done with this shit… and I still have all my fish to sell—" he stopped abruptly, automatically glanced at his empty bucket and zeroed in on Luffy's mouth where a fin was still hanging.

He was so going to kill the kid before they came back to shore.

To be continued…

A/N: So, this was supposed to be a really short one shot. But then it got out of hand, started a life of its own and I was like, "dude, the fuck are you doing?" but it just sent me a mean look and was like, "don't bother kid, we've got it. Now scram, we're busy building a world." So, yeah, I'm a whimp of an author who gets whipped by their own stories… *shrugs*

Anyway, I think there's gonna be two more chapters. Unless I manage to make a big ass chapter 2. But I like harmony, so I'll try my best to make even chapters… Don't expect a long story, it's a really small verse focused on Ace's life, so we're not going to follow Luffy around… (okay, I may be thinking about playing with the idea of showing Luffy and Sabo's lives without Ace. MAYBE.)

I hope you're so far enjoying this, let me know your thoughts :)