"What do you want?" Ace asked as he looked around at the marines. It very quickly became apparent that they couldn't see or hear their interactions.
"I told Luffy I'd help rescue you soon as you got out of Impel Down. Though its seems he didn't make it to your cell before you was taken out." D shrugged as he sat before him.
"I should have known it was your idea for him to break me out of Impel Down," Ace growled. "I knew I should have told him to break things off with you back in Alabasta."
"You should also know that a deal with me is forever," D sighed. "And it wasn't my idea to rescue you. Even if I didn't agree to assist Luffy would have still done everything to save you, or die trying. At least with my assistance I could manipulate Fate in his favor."
Ace wanted to retort but in the end he couldn't help but sigh as well. Luffy really was that kind of guy. He was willing to do anything for his friends and family. And now that Ace was approaching the end of his life he wish he could tell Luffy that he had saved him all those years ago.
"Will Luffy be ok?" Ace asked. "Will you keep him safe when I'm gone?"
"Is that your official request?" D asked even though he new his response.
"No," Ace sighed. "I already decided not to have anything to do with you or that father of mine. I live my life for Whitebeard. Without him I would have given up and died a long time ago."
"You know he'll come to your rescue as well." D looked him in the eyes. "You have always been loved by your 'family' every moment in your life."
"Do I deserve it?" Ace shook his head sadly. "I should have listened to everyone and not gone after Teach. I only have myself to blame for my death."
D didn't answer him instead it seemed like his thoughts were far away as he stared out to sea. Only he could know just what he was thinking at the moment.
♤♡◇♧☆♤♡◇♧☆♤♡◇♧☆♤♡◇♧☆
"Life is such a wonderful thing, isn't it D?"
D turned away from the sea to look back at Roger who was sitting in a chair beside his lovely wife in the shade of some palm trees. A hammock swayed in the island breeze beside them.
"It must be if a criminal like you can smile so brightly," D chuckled. "The marines almost caught you on that last trip."
"Hahaha, Garp sure has been getting stronger lately." Roger laughed while smiling. "I've been thinking I should let him get the glory for my capture when I turn myself in."
Rouge smiled sadly beside him. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before he would die from his illness. He had decided a while ago that he would rather turn himself in and go out in style instead of drowning in his own spit as his body failed him.
"You sure you don't want me to try healing you again?" D asked. "I think I know which ability to use this time."
"And risk ending up like Ivan?" Roger chuckled. "No thank you."
At that moment Rouge quietly excused herself. She had a checkup to go to. Roger watched as his cabin boy Shanks walked her down the path towards the town. She was several months along now. It was only these kinds of moments that would make his smile falter for a moment.
"Do you think a child should be held responsible for their parents crimes?" He asked D for the hundredth time.
"Never," D shook his head. "We make too many mistakes our own to be held responsible for others in society."
Roger smiled at that. Becoming a pirate could be considered a mistake, by society anyways. He certainly didn't regret it.
"I want to make a deal with you," he spoke up suddenly.
D looked at him surprised for a moment. "I thought you said you'd never make a deal since the price was your soul."
"I'm a father now," Roger shrugged. "A father has to make sacrifices for their child."
D sighed in agreement. He certainly had made his own sacrifices throughout time.
"Make your request. In return your soul will be mine."
"Grant one request for my child. In return my soul is yours but I don't want you to use it ever." Roger made his request filling the air with a somber mood.
"That's a sneaky request," D chuckled. "Looks like I'll be keeping him alive for a few years till he's able to make an eligible request."
Roger smiled before walking away. As he left I suddenly spoke up. "I'm thinking Shanks would be a good fit for the hat."
D sighed as he watched the Oro Jackson sail away. Quietly he made his way to Rouge's home. The next day the world was in an uproar as the government announced the capture of the infamous Gold Roger, the King of the Pirates.
He did his best to console Rouge a week later on Roger's execution day and couldn't help but sigh once more as he whispered to himself. "I would have taken care of your family even if you hadn't asked, my second closest friend."
♤♡◇♧☆
D stood beside Rouge who was sitting in a comfortable chair. Her belly was now well rounded with eleven months of pregnancy behind her. She held onto his hand with a crushing grip as she fought against the natural instincts of her body.
"Not yet, child," she whispered surprisingly calmly. "It's still not safe for you to come yet."
He held back his opinion as he gently caressed her hand. Strange waves of energy traveled up her body towards the hand holding his as her whole body began to relax. Very quickly her death grip eased up and her hand slid out of his.
"Thank you for taking the pain away each time," Rouge sighed. "This would be much harder to withstand without you here."
"Of course," D smiled. "You wouldn't accept any of my other suggestions so this is all I can do. Though to be honest I think you could last long enough for the world to stop looking for Roger's child without me. I've known few people as determined and strong as you are, most of them women." He laughed at that last bit.
"You still make it easier," she smiled before looking out the window.
"Do you think our child will hate us for the troubles they will have to face?"
D stood there silently for a moment before answering. "They might."
Rouge flinched.
"But I don't think it will be a true hate." He moved to sit in the window sill. "I think more, they'll wonder why. Why did their parents make the choices they did? Were they right or wrong? Did they love me? These kinds of questions."
Rouge relaxed slightly as she mulled over the questions. "I think the answers for all of those lie with the last question. Right or wrong, we loved each other and we loved our child. That's all that should matter."
D watched her caress her belly before walking out the room. It hurt to watch his friend's wife slowly dying, even if it was out of love for her own child. It was the the same reason why all those years ago he had given Cara special items to take care of all her needs before walking out of her life forever. Losing friends was difficult for him, especially since he had abilities that could stop it from happening. But free will had to be respected.
Didn't mean he had to watch them die and wither away. Instead he immortalized them through his memories.
♤♡◇♧☆
Twenty months had passed now, fifteen since Roger was executed. The World Government had given up on finding his child assuming it was just baseless rumors. D stood outside as the local doctor helped Rouge with the birth.
He had wanted to be inside assisting with the pain but she told him she no longer felt any pain anymore. His heart had sunk when he heard that. It meant her body had already begun shutting down. She was literally willing herself alive at this point. Once her child was successfully brought into this world she would die of relief.
The sounds of a baby rang out and he felt mixed emotions. At the same time a large man approached the home.
"You must be here to take care of his child from now on."
"How do you know I'm not here to turn the child over to the Government?" Monkey D. Garp asked.
"Because your heart is just like your ancestor's." D began walking inside. "I'll bring you the child."
Garp watched him slightly shocked and confused. He was well aware of the origin of his middle initial.
°•°○°○°
"He looks like a very healthy boy," D congratulated as he entered Rouge's room.
"Thank you," Rouge smiled. She looked exhausted as she held her child. He could see the flames of her life flickering dimly like a candle bearing the end of its wick, a single puff of air could put it out.
"Roger sent someone to take care of him," he told her as he moved to stand beside her. "I'll also watch over him until he's old enough to take care of himself."
She smiled in relief and her flame dimmed even more.
"I will always love you my child," she kissed the boy softly as she handed him to D. "My precious Ace."
D held Ace in his arms as Rouge closed her eyes and her fight ended. And just like Cara, her soul would go on to the afterlife instead of staying with him and her man. He didn't blame her either. Neither Roger or John wanted their wives to stay with him for all eternity. Haven's Bliss was far better for good people like them.
°•°○°○°
Garp watched the devil return to the door with a bundle in his arms. At the same time a doctor quietly left for his own home. He still had mixed feelings about what he was doing. But after thinking of the conversation he had with Roger he new he was right. A child should not be held responsible for the father's crimes.
"His name is Gol D. Ace. Take good care of him." The devil handed Ace over to him. Immediately the small boy looked at him and smiled.
"I will," Garp promised.
"We both should leave here before people get suspicious," the devil announced as he began to turn away.
"Wait!" Garp stopped him. "You and my ancestor were close?"
D smiled but didn't face him. "He named his first son after me." Then he dissapeared.
After he vanished a pale, shadowy door opened up beside Rouge's bed and a blonde girl stepped out.
"He was standing right here," Current bit her thumbnail as she debated what to do about that. "I better tell Temp to add this island to our watchlist."
°•○●□■♤♡◇♧☆▪︎¤°•○●□■♤♡◇♧☆▪︎¤
Nearly twenty years had gone by since D had given Ace to Garp. By odd chance, the boy who ate the Gum Gum fruit was Garp's grandson. He also became good friends with Ace making things easier for D. He could check up on them at the same time. Or at least that was the cause before Ace set sail to become a pirate. With that decision D felt he was old enough to make a request fulfilling his promise with Roger.
D now found himself on an island he probably had been to long ago. Nearby, the sounds of laughter and partying could be heard. At the edge of the party he could see Ace sleeping while holding a bone of meat in his mouth. He absentmindedly munched on it as a bubble went in and out of his nose.
"Kid still sleeps anywhere and anytime," he chuckled as everything except Ace froze.
Immediately Ace jumped up and his hands ignited.
"Calm down kid," D waved his hand and Ace's flames sputtered out. "They're all fine."
"Your him," Ace shouted in surprise.
"It's good you know about me since I haven't revealed myself to you all these years," D chuckled. "In fact your one of the few who has seen my real face. Though you wouldn't remember since you was barely ten minutes old."
"You were there when I was born?" A chill ran down Ace's back. "Then the rumors about you and my father were true."
"They were," D nodded. "He even made a deal with me at the end of his life."
"If you think I'll join up with you because you and him were buddy buddy your wrong. I hate everything to do with him," Ace growled.
"Even your mother?"
Ace's entire figure shook at that implication.
"I noticed you adopted her name in her memory, Portgase D. Ace." D smiled sadly. "Even if she preferred you to have your father's name I'm glad I won't be the only one to remember her well."
"You knew her too?" Ace asked. He suddenly felt hungry for information about her. Garp had only been able to tell him her name and where she had come from. Very little was known about Portgase D. Rouge.
"She and I could have been called friends," D sighed. "I was also there at the end. I hope it helps to know she is in a better place."
"Why did she have me?" Ace asked even though he was afraid of what the answer might be.
"Because she loved you."
He shook once more as tears began to fall to the ground.
"She loved me!" Ace smiled through his tears.
"Your father did too," D spoke up. "That was why he made a deal with me at the end."
Ace frowned.
"This is my way of keeping my promise." D tossed a beaded necklace at him. Two large ornaments hung from it depicting a smiling face and a frowning face. "Break that and you can make one request of me, no matter the cost."
Ace wanted to retort but he was already gone.