Chapter Text
"Oh," Rosinante whispered. "He's so small."
"Babies are like that," Garp said with terrible fondness, undoubtedly remembering the last time he'd held a baby in his arms. "His name is Monkey D. Luffy. It suits him, don't you think?"
A hefty name for such a small kid, Rosinante thought as he watched Luffy wrap a tiny hand around his pinky finger. To carry the name of D. was to live a checkered life, one full of hardship.
A brilliant smile spread across his face when Luffy yawned, revealing a gummy mouth.
But also, the potential for so much joy.
Rosinante looked up to see Garp's sappy face, a clear contrast from his usual gruff self, and had to quickly stifle a laugh when the vice-admiral noticed his grin. Taking pity on the old geezer, he turned his eyes back to Luffy to give Garp some time to fix his face into something less embarassing.
Conversationally, he broached a question that had been on his mind ever since Garp showed up on his doorstep with Luffy in tow. "So, where are you staying?"
"Staying?" Garp asked bemused.
"You can't possibly be thinking of staying in the communal barracks, can you?" Rosinante said, raising a non-existent brow. "Luffy can't possibly stay there, not to mention the fact that-"
Garp grimaced a little, and immediately, Rosinante understood.
"You can't possibly be thinking of abandoning him somewhere, can you?" Rosinante asked, aghast. He clutched Luffy to his chest a little tighter. "He's only a few days old! You can't!"
"I'm not abandoning him," Garp said gruffly. "And what do you want me to do, exactly? It's not like I can up and move out of Marineford. I can't keep him on the damn boat either. It's not place to raise a kid."
Rosinante frowned.
Garp winced in response - he'd forgotten that Sengoku technically raised Rosinante for years on a ship. Rolling his eyes, Rosinante continued on his tirade. "Look, he needs someone stable growing up. You can't just-just walk in and out of his life!"
"Then why don't you take care of him?"
Rosinante's mouth fell open, hardly able to believe his own ears. "M-Me?!" He stammered.
Garp looked revitalized, nearly leaping up from his chair. "Yes, that's perfect!"
"You can't just ask me to quit my job!" Rosinante exclaimed. "This is your grandkid, for crying out loud!"
"It wouldn't be quitting, per se," Garp said cheerfully. "Think of it as a really long vacation!"
"GARP!"
In the end - to no one's comprehension, including his own - Rosinante found himself on the next ship out to the East Blue, cradling a tiny infant up against his chest.
Belatedly, Rosinante realized with dread that he was a father. Or at least, as much of a father one could be when the kid's biological father was still alive.
He muttered a swear so foul, Tsuru would have washed and hung him out to dry. Oh seas, he thought, nigh hysterically. Did that make Sengoku a grandfather? He decided it was best not to bring it up the next time he met the man. Sengoku would go apocalyptic just thinking about being tangentially related to Garp.
It was already bad enough that he was leaving right before he was supposed to be assigned an important infiltration mission, he thought with a gloomy sigh. Even if the baby was really cute.
(Inwardly, he resolved to send Sengoku as many photos as possible to ease the tongue-lashing he'd get when he next called. He couldn't be that mad, right?)
Foosha Village was... different, to say the least.
It was quiet and utterly unremarkable aside from the fact that this was Garp's hometown. He couldn't quite imagine the man who earned a moniker like The Fist coming from a sleepy little town like this, and a small part of him wondered if the man was lying.
Still, he had to admit that everyone was quite kind, kinder than he would have expected, considering he was a complete stranger.
As he took in the lush green hills and sedate windmills, he sighed a little and looked down at the baby sleeping soundlessly against his chest. "Here's home for the next few years. Welcome home, Luffy."
The years passed by quicker than Rosinante had ever imagined when he first stepped foot into Foosha Village. Garp did end up coming by to visit every few months, wandering in and out of their lives.
Rosinante, on his part, understood in a way. For all that the old man refused to be promoted, his skill set was just too valuable not to use for missions that would usually require an Admiral's touch, keeping him away for long stretches at a time.
What Rosinante didn't understand, however, was Garp's insistence on trying to dump Luffy in the woods every time he visited.
Rosinante let out an aggrieved sigh as he trudged through the woods. This was not how he expected to spend his morning - today was his shopping day for crying out loud!
"I'm going to kill Garp next time I see him," he grumbled, even as he toppled over a root. Groaning, he rolled onto his back, blowing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes.
Suddenly, an entirely familiar and unwelcome weight crashed onto his stomach, making him choke on his spit. "LUFFY-!"
The damn brat looked entirely too pleased with himself. "I caught you!"
"More like you nearly killed me!" Rosinante winced as he got up, lifting Luffy by the back of his shirt as he did. "You little brat."
Luffy squirmed like a cat, wriggling to and fro. "Rosi," he whined. "Let me go!"
"Fat chance. If I let go of you now, I'm not going to see you until dinner."
"Rosi!"
"Tough luck, kiddo~" He sang, swinging around Luffy who squeaked in delight before remembering he was supposed to escape. "Besides, don't you want to see Makino?"
"Makino!" Luffy stopped squirming to cheer, pumping his fists in the air. "I'm hungry!"
Rosinante rolled his eyes. "Is that all you think of when you hear Makino's name? Food?" He tickled Luffy's belly lightly. "You hungry caterpillar, you."
"I'm not a caterpillar!" He said indignantly. "I'm Luffy!"
"You are Luffy," Rosinante agreed as he finally made his way out of the forest. When they cleared the trees, he lifted Luffy to sit on his shoulders, making sure he had a tight grip on his legs. "But you're also a hungry caterpillar, aren't you?"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"NO!" Luffy wailed, nearly tearing out blonde hair. Rosinante winced, eyes watering.
"Oh dear - Luffy, what have I told you about pulling out poor Mr. Rosi's hair?"
"MAKINOOO!" Luffy shrieked as he caught sight of the woman walking up towards them. "I'M NOT A CATERPILLAR!"
Makino stifled a laugh at Rosinante's face. "Mr. Rosi, what kind of lies have you been telling this poor boy?"
"Are they lies?" Rosinante grumbled as he carefully deposited the six-year old into Makino's awaiting arms. "All of my hard-earned Berris, eaten up by this caterpillar right here." He poked Luffy's stomach with each word, making the boy giggle despite himself.
Makino giggled alongside Luffy. "Why don't I whip some lunch for him to eat?" She suggested, hefting him further up her hip. "That way you can shop in peace."
"Would you?" Rosinante asked desperately, clasping his hands and bowing his head. Makino truly was a saint for feeding Luffy - that kid's appetite was a real terror. "I'll pay you back!"
"Nonsense! You help too much around the bar already!"
"Makino-" He sighed as she speed-walked away from him, Luffy already chattering her ear away. "Stubborn woman."
Choosing to pick his battles for now, he rummaged around his pocket for his grocery list. Dread filled his stomach as the paper unfurled, reaching the tips of his toes. "Oh boy."
Thankfully, most of the grocers in Foosha Village were generous enough to offer home delivery, nearly making Rosinante weep in gratitude.
As he was waved off by the shop keepers who were more than used to his theatrics, he took a minute to simply breathe and enjoy the afternoon. Luffy was being babysat by Makino, he completed his grocery list with no luggage required, and he had at least a few spare Berris in his pocket to pay back Makino and enjoy a cool beer at the bar.
Of course, in reality, Rosinante's life was never actually that easy.
As he strolled into the bar, his mouth pursed at the sheer amount of people present, all day-drinking and generally making a disruption of themselves. Absent-mindedly, he hoped that Makino kept Luffy in the backroom, away from all of the drunkards.
As he weaved around the crowd, something niggled in the back of his brain. Something dangerous. Something familiar.
It's the shock of red that keyed him in.
Red-Haired Shanks.
Then with dawning horror,
Luffy.