Author's Note: I don't like doing ongoing stories. I have one already, and while I love writing it, it doesn't feel all that rewarding. Not many people read it. So this won't be an ongoing story. Instead, I'll try doing it as a collection of one-shots, but only if people like it. And by like it, I mean leave reviews saying what they liked. I don't care how many favourites something gets; I care about feedback and what people think of my writing.

"Well, that's interesting," Shanks muttered to himself, spyglass held up to his eye. The object of his focus was a small vessel approaching his ship- a waver to be exact. Except, unlike most wavers, it was fitted with a tiny canon. It was adorable.

The oddest part was, this was the middle of the New World and the Red Hair Pirates were days from the nearest island. A single-man waver shouldn't have been able to make it out this far at all. The little craft was running on fumes, its pilot hunched over in a desperate attempt to coax more power from the failing engines.

Shanks made a split second decision. The pilot had to be a rookie- otherwise they'd never be dumb enough to cross any sea alone in a waver- but they must also be fairly skilled. They wouldn't have gotten this far otherwise. He wanted a closer look at this person. Regardless of anything else, they at least promised to be interesting.

"Bring her about! We need to intercept that waver!"

"That shouldn't be hard Captain," Beckham observed from the rail. "They're headed straight for us."

And so they were. Within moments the little waver was bobbing beneath the Red Force. Shanks waved at the pilot and threw down a rope.

"Ahoy friend! Who are you?" This close, Shanks could get a good look at the lone sailor. It was a young woman wearing curious clothing that appeared to be made of leather scales and wool. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied into a ponytail that stuck out from beneath her dragon-shaped helm. Despite his travels, Shanks couldn't ever remember seeing someone dressed like that.

"Name's Jazz old-timer." The girl looked up. Her eyes flashed pale grey, with something bestial behind them. She seemed to frown, though it was hard to tell with her helmet. "Hey! Are you... Red-Haired Shanks?"

"Yeah, that's me." Shanks was surprised. Yonko or not, he didn't have many women chasing him these days.

"Finally!" The girl's voice came out practically a snarl. Her waver secure, she leapt up onto the rail. Shanks leaned out of the way, mildly surprised. He was even more surprised when he found a blade pointed at him.

"Sorry, I don't duel pretty girls."

"Shut up!" Jazz swung her katana, drawing a dagger with her other hand. Shanks backed away, but didn't draw his own sword. He had already judged this fight. The girl was good, but nowhere near his level. He didn't want to hurt her if he could help it.

"Hey, calm down. Why are you attacking me?"

Those words only seemed to make Jazz angrier. Her attacks became faster and sloppier, and shimmery green scales began to crust over her visible skin. Shanks sighed. Just what I need, an enraged zoan on my ship. A massive leap carried the red-haired pirate into the rigging. He was surprised when, instead of giving up in frustration, Jazz sheathed her blades and growled. Claws exploded from her feet, followed by a long tail and a crown of horns. Her arms became leathery wings.

Shanks had to admit, being chased through the rigging by a wyvern was certainly interesting. But after Jazz tore one too many chunks out of the mast, he'd had enough. A quick tangle of ropes subdued the wyvern girl, binding her wings and snapping jaws. Jazz slowly resumed human form, the better for glowering at him from her temporary prison.

"Look," Shanks sighed, sitting on a rope like a hammock, "I enjoy a good fight, but this is ridiculous. I've never even seen you before; what possible reason could you have for attacking me?"

"You abandoned me." Jazz's voice was barely a whisper. "I know mum was just a brothel girl, but you spent six months with her. Six months! Didn't it occur to you that something might have happened in that time?" She struggled fruitlessly against her bonds.

It took Shanks a moment to remember the event his prisoner was speaking of. It had been over twenty years before- before he'd met Luffy, before he'd even become a captain. Shortly after Roger's death, Shanks had spent half a year in a port town, trying to decide what to do with his life. His face flushed the colour of his hair as he remembered the fling he'd had whilst there.

"Wait... You're Sandra's daughter?"

"So the bastard does remember!"

"And you think I'm your father?"

"Who else could it be?!" Jazz was swinging back and forth in her ropes; Shanks suspected she was trying to get close enough to bite him. "I was born six months after you left, and she wasn't with anyone else when you-!" When her attempts to bite proved futile, Jazz sighed and reluctantly calmed down.

"Mum didn't like having me around- said I was bad for business. As soon as I was old enough to feed myself, she gave me a piece of paper and told me to go find my father. I was six! How'd she expect me to do that?"

Piece of paper? A vivre card! Shanks could remember giving one to Sandra, when he'd foolishly believed their love was real. Then the rest of what Jazz had said kicked in. A six year old girl, following a vivre card halfway around the world, with no one to look after her... He couldn't imagine what Jazz- what his daughter- had to go through. Shanks scooped the girl up in a one-armed hug, made slightly complicated by the tangle of rigging.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "If I'd known..." Shanks paused. If he had known, what would he have done? He was a pirate, born and raised. He wouldn't have been able to stand being landlocked for too long. If he'd stayed long enough for Jazz to be born, he would have taken her to sea with him sooner than later. Maybe even earlier than she'd set off herself.

But at least she would've been with me. I could've kept her safe!

"Let go of me old-timer."

"That's no way to speak to your father," Shanks admonished jokingly. He carefully unwound the ropes, pulling Jazz into his rigging hammock just before she dropped to the deck. The girl stared at him in confusion.

"So... Are we gonna fight or what?"

"Are you suggesting that I beat up my own daughter? I may be a horrible father, but I'm not that cruel!"

Shanks looked down to Jazz's little waver. "Is that dinky little boat all you have?"

The question earned him an indignant growl. My God, was she raised by sea kings? "Don't be mean to Wings! I'd have died without him!"

A waver with a name, and possibly a klabauterman. That was new. Shanks shook his head.

"I'm not trying to be mean to your... Wings. But he can't carry much, especially with that little canon. Don't you have a proper ship, with a crew and things?"

"Nope."

"Then how the Hell did you get out here?" Shanks felt a bubble of amazed irritation in his chest, a feeling he'd thought reserved for Luffy's antics.

"Just me and Wings. I don't have much stuff, so it's not an issue. Well, except fuel. Wings can sail, but it's not as fast as the engine."

Maybe it's a good thing I met Luffy, Shanks thought. It's prepared me for dealing with this.

"As a pirate, I'm impressed. You've made it to the New World alone, in possibly the smallest pirate ship known to man. As your father... WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"You don't get a say," Jazz mumbled. "You didn't even know I existed before today."

"This changes now," Shanks said with finality. "I may not have been there when you were a child, but I'm here now, and no daughter of mine is going to sail the world in a waver. You're joining my crew."

"But-"

"End of discussion." Shanks carefully lowered himself and Jazz to the deck. Most of his crew were waiting for him, having overheard the discussion. Neither Shanks nor Jazz had a very quiet voice.

"Beckham, set course for the nearest island with a decent town. My daughter and I are going shopping."

"Aye-aye sir."

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?"

Shanks grinned and placed his hand on Jazz's head. "Nope. We're going to get you properly outfitted, captain's orders. Welcome to the Red Hair Pirates!"