Chapter Text
Edward Newgate had moved to Loguetown Island and started Whitebeard Alpaca Farm so long ago that not a soul could recall a time without him, nor could they imagine a world where he was gone. His tendency to take in any lost soul, runaway child, or troubled teen was just as set in stone as his presence; as far as anyone who knew him was concerned, there was no Edward Newgate without a flock of family surrounding him. As he grew too old to care for the alpacas alone, the elder children helped manage the farm. Beyond the many who he’d adopted, many friends and neighbors were considered family as well.
When reports of a zombie-like infection spreading on the mainland reached Loguetown, Newgate was flooded with well-wishing family friends checking in on him and the kids. Even Shanks called him from who-knows-where to make sure he was alright, the nosy brat.
Even so, it was difficult to appreciate the warmth of community with him on Loguetown when his mind was fixed on his five children on the mainland. Marco, Thatch, Izou, Haruta, Ace. He’d always been so proud of them for going out into the world, chasing their dreams wherever it would take them. He didn’t regret it now, either; his children had been happy, and he was happy for them.
Newgate could only hope their adventures in the wider world wouldn’t come at the cost of their lives.
He stayed up later and later, checking in on them. Cell service hadn’t broken down yet. He could keep in touch. Gratitude grew in him as he saw his children surrounded by friends they could rely on. Izou got a ride from Newgate’s old acquaintance Mihawk. Marco escaped the hospital with help from a patient with a liking for headgear and a fellow doctor and friend. Ace’s roommate Deuce helped him stay in contact when Ace’s phone died. Haruta still went out of her way to care for her cats. Thatch picked up a kid when they were both alone.
People really did come through for each other in the toughest moments.
Maybe he was getting sentimental.
Newgate had expected things to get dicey. It was the goddamned zombie apocalypse, of course something would go wrong. That didn’t mean he didn’t worry when, one by one, his sons went out of touch.
Izou and Haruta told him they were near Sabaody. Izou said there was a zombie horde blocking the way.
No one had contacted him since.
That was that morning. It was after sunset now. Still nothing.
His sons in Loguetown tried to convince him to sleep. It was thoughtful of them to set up a rotation to make sure someone would always be awake to receive updates from their siblings or the bridge guard, but Newgate knew he couldn’t sleep. Not until he knew his children were alright. No matter how long he had to wait, he would be there when they arrived.
He went to speak with Smoker as the last light of dusk faded. Tashigi answered the door for him. No sign of them, sir. Sorry, sir. We’ll keep an eye out. That was all they could do; no one could cross to the mainland, it wasn’t safe. Though if his kids didn’t get back, to hell with safety, Newgate would go out there himself to track them down and bring them home.
Newgate was very good at keeping busy. There was always work to do to look after the alpacas. Jozu tried to convince him to go to bed, but eventually started helping him take inventory, working quietly side by side. Vista and Namur joined them as the night went on. By the time dawn peeked over the horizon, Newgate had seen all of his children up and about, taking care of their chores.
Everyone had stayed up with him. Waiting.
He sorted wool for spinning and thought of Izou and the scarf he knit for him.
He checked on the younger alpacas and remembered Ace doing his homework in the stables like the animals could help him with his history paper.
He passed through the gate Haruta had fixed while holding crooked nails in their teeth.
He made breakfast in the footsteps of Thatch’s memory, placing everything just so, just where he’d left it after his last visit.
He took his favorite coffee mug down from its home beside Marco’s. Traces of his first son were everywhere, in each space he had never realized was empty until there was someone to fill it.
He watched and waited and prayed.
A knock at the door.
Newgate answered with his entire family at his back. It was Koby, a young volunteer who had been helping the bridge guard. He leaned on the doorframe, catching his breath. His bicycle lay abandoned on the front lawn. “They’re here.”
They’re—
Newgate ran through the streets, family and friends at his heels quickly left behind in the wake of his long stride. He’d walked from the farm to the bridge so many times over the years, so many times in the past week waiting for any sign, and now they’re—
Tashigi met him at the gate. Dozens of tents had been set up at the bridge crossing between island and mainland, to house the guard that patrolled to keep the zombies out. And to welcome newcomers, and screen for infections. Police tape blocked the whole area off. Newgate stepped over it and towered over Tashigi. He waited for her to speak. She knew by now what he wanted.
For a split second, Tashigi looked up at him with shiny eyes, and terror gripped his heart. Were they safe? What if one of them was infected? What if they all were? Were they hurt? What if someone hadn’t made it? Were they okay? Were they—
“They’re all here,” Tashigi said. A smile broke across her face. “All five of your kids are here, and plenty of their friends.”
All five. Marco, Thatch, Izou, Haruta, Ace. All five.
“Are they alright?”
“We’re checking right now, but so far, so good.”
No sooner had she spoken than a blur shot out of one of the tents and hurled itself at Newgate screaming, “ACE’S POPS! ACE’S POPS!”
Tashigi gaped like her soul had just left her body as the kid wrapped his limbs around Newgate and beamed up at him from under a straw hat. “Kid, you can’t just—”
“Smokey guy said I was good to go!” The kid pouted. “I wanna meet Ace’s Pops! Hi, Ace’s Pops!”
Newgate laughed. It rumbled through his body, shaking the clingy kid. He hadn’t laughed much lately, had he? “Hello, brat! You’re Ace’s friend?”
“His brother! I’m Monkey D. Luffy!”
Ah, so this was the baby brother. Newgate had heard all about him; he suspected everyone who had ever met Ace had heard all about him, for that matter. He laughed again. “Then you’re my son too!”
Luffy looked downright offended at that, but before he could protest, a slightly older kid in a top hat came up behind him and squashed the straw hat down over his eyes, then turned to Newgate with an affected innocence that could even put Haruta to shame—a terrifying concept. “Hello, Ace’s Pops. I’m Ace’s other brother.”
That was odd. Newgate knew Ace had had two sworn brothers since before he adopted him, but Ace had also said the older one was gone. Was Ace mistaken? Did something change? What was he missing?
The top hat kid just introduced himself as Sabo and didn’t clarify anything else, clearly amused by Newgate’s confusion. Brat.
But then—
“Pops!” Ace ran over and swept all three of them up in a giant hug. “Hi, Pops.”
Luffy giggled. “We did it! We’re all at Loguetown!”
Ace squashed his straw hat that time. Luffy pouted while the older two laughed. Newgate laughed too. These three would certainly keep things interesting.
After letting the moment live a bit longer, Ace pulled his brothers away to exit into the island proper, all three of them talking over each other about meeting Ace’s family (except for Luffy, who mostly sounded interested in the old pirate cemetery).
“There’s three of them now. Gods help us.”
Newgate turned around to see Thatch, shaking his head in mock exasperation at the trio even while a smile tugged at his mouth as usual.
In favor of responding, Newgate crushed him in a hug. By most people’s standards, Thatch was ridiculously tall, but Newgate was at least a head and a half taller. No matter how big Thatch got, he was still Newgate’s little kid, the sunshine and beating heart of the family.
“Missed you, Pops,” Thatch said into his shoulder.
“I thought I told you to stay out of trouble.”
“Sorry.” Thatch pulled back enough to look him in the eye. “But you’ve met us, Pops. Trouble attracts trouble.”
“Isn’t it supposed to be opposites attract?” Izou had arrived, smiling like he had a secret. “Mihawk says hello, by the way.”
Newgate hadn’t even remembered how much he missed that smile. More hugs were clearly in order.
“Hey, wait for me!” Rather than getting in on the group hug, Haruta climbed up Thatch to sit on his shoulders and cling to Newgate’s head from their new perch. His three dear middle children, back to him at last, safe and whole and happy.
And wasn’t that laugh familiar? Newgate turned his head just enough to see past Haruta to—
“Jinbei? I didn’t know you were with my children!”
“It was a recent development.” Jinbei looked happy to be there but completely exhausted.
A redheaded girl walked beside him. “The brothers already ran off, didn’t they?”
“Ace and the other two?” Newgate turned around and couldn’t see a trace of them anymore. Maybe they’d keep things a little too interesting. “They did run off.”
The girl sighed. “I’m Koala, nice to meet you, and now I have to go track down an idiot or three. See you guys around.” She shook Newgate’s hand and set out into the town.
Jinbei shook Newgate’s hand but stuck around. “We ran into each other in Sabaody. There was some trouble there, but we made some new friends.”
Newgate looked over his friend’s shoulder. Two more people had emerged from the tent, neither of whom he’d ever seen in person but both instantly recognizable. A boy with blue hair and the thickest glasses he’d ever seen, undoubtedly Ace’s roommate Deuce. And an older man with an afro and the strap of a violin case slung across his suitcoat and band shirt, gently guiding a wagon bearing a goldfish tank.
Was that Soul King Brook?
And here Newgate didn’t think his day could’ve gotten much better.
Deuce caught Newgate’s eye and waved, evidently recognizing him from Ace’s photos as well. He and Brook (and the goldfish) joined their growing group. Deuce gave another awkward wave.
Brook held out his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. My name is Brook, I hope you don’t mind that I tagged along. I’ve been told you’re the father of this family, Edward Newgate?”
Newgate shook his hand. Firm, strong grip. He liked him even more. “Soul King Brook! Of course I don’t mind.”
Thatch winked at the musician. “He’s a pretty big fan of your band.”
Brook offered a wan smile. “I’m afraid it’s just Laboon and me these days.”
“You’re welcome with us,” Newgate proclaimed, leaving no room for debate. “In times like these, people need a bit of music.”
Brook’s smile grew. “Then perhaps I could manage a concert here after all?”
“I’d love that.”
Then Newgate turned to Deuce. Ah, he knew that look: out of place and unable to forget it. Well, that simply wouldn’t do. “Thank you for looking after my youngest.”
“Oh! It’s not—I mean—thanks! Thanks.”
He narrowed his eyes. No, that wouldn’t do at all. “You said you aren’t close with your family?” He ignored Thatch, Izou, and Haruta exchanging looks.
Deuce got even more fidgety, if it was possible. “No, not really. We, well, don’t really talk anymore. It’s—never mind, it’s nothing.”
Newgate nodded. Then he clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re my son now.”
Deuce went bug-eyed under his huge glasses. After a moment of consideration, though, he just shrugged. “Okay.”
Great! That went much better than the last time; Ace’s adoption had involved several trips to the hospital and at least a dozen house fires.
“Is that how you ended up with so many kids?” Someone approached the group who Newgate didn’t recognize, a young man with a spotted hat and a large sword and a resting expression of disgruntlement.
Newgate didn’t dignify the question with an answer. “And who are you?”
“Trafalgar Law. I worked at the same hospital as Marco.”
Right, Law, the one whose phone Marco was borrowing. Newgate considered thanking him, but he looked like he was considering using his sword on him, so instead he simply nodded. “I assume you’ll be staying with us as well?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.” Then Law’s eyes became slits; Newgate pictured an alley cat, all hisses and hairballs. “I have a father. You can’t adopt me.”
Newgate could only laugh. “Of course not.”
He still looked suspicious, cynical, every bit still a feral cat. “A bunch of children came with us. Adopt them or something.”
As if on cue, children started trickling out of the tents, gravitating towards Jinbei, who sighed. “I just gave them a ride, I don’t know why they’re following me around now.”
Newgate laughed. It seemed his friend would be subject to the joys of fatherhood whether he wanted to or not. He watched the kids keep coming, following Jinbei as he tried to find somewhere quiet to sit. It seemed there would be no end to the children coming from the tents.
Until the stream of little kids was interrupted by a familiar shade of purple.
Newgate knew his eldest son like he knew himself. He didn’t rush anywhere unless he was at work and someone’s life depended on it. They’d both learned a great deal of patience with each and every new member of the family. Marco was always rock-solid calm. He didn’t hurry. He didn’t run.
But he did just that. Marco ran to him and Newgate scooped him up like he was single digits again. Everything else melted away.
What did the end of the world matter? His entire world was here with him, in his arms and around him in another group hug and catching up after the mad dash from the farm to the bridge and somewhere, somewhere, his youngest was the happiest he’d been in years, with family old and new surrounding him. It was all right here on his island, his home.
Marco, Thatch, Izou, Haruta, Ace. All five of his missing children had returned to him, safe and sound.