One Piece: Pride and Reunion

7: handoff of the devils' son

(a/n, please listen to the song when you read the flashback, also warning, there is a depiction of blood, death, and thoughts of murder)

Balthazar's POV

"-so if you guys are renowned for battle prowess and flying skills, have you ever flown through the forest on the ground level?" Usopp asked as we walked into the house, I smiled" we do, it's the first thing we do when we start flight training and the trainees look forward to it, most of them." I said.

"How come?" Nami asked," oh the instructors dare the newbies to free fall 5 miles down and weave through the forest at breakneck speed at risk of breaking their wings, for me, it was the best minutes of my life, I loved the rush of it and Shanks was fanboying when he saw it for the first time." I said, that's when 3 of the crew I've dubbed the cowards started freaking out and having a meltdown, meanwhile, Luffy's giggling hysterically just imagining it.

"You're insane! How many chicken out?!" Chopper demanded, I laughed" half of them do and go about settling that fear with baby steps with free-falling at a height of 1500 feet and higher from there." I said nonchalantly" that doesn't settle my stomach doing flips, you're still insane!" Usopp shot back" oh my god, I want to see that so bad." Luffy said," me too." Yamato said," I admit that sounds epic but that's still terrifying." Chopper said weakly.

"Well being an adrenaline junkie is part of the job description, one of the supernovas, Urouge is just as insane since he went as high as 20 miles in the sky." I said," I think I'm going to throw up." Nami said looking a little pale" the trainees from 20 years ago would agree and some actually did puke and others were kind of jealous." I said," are you going to tell us the story of how Shanks came to be in your care for 8 years?" Robin asked.

"The giants gave you the basics of the story, I'd be happy to give you the full story and it started with Roger going straight to the West Blue after God Valley to find the woman who gave birth to him, well they found her sitting on the dock wondering if she should drop him off at the orphanage since she knew a worldwide manhunt for any heirs of Rocks like with Roger and succeeded." I started.

38 years ago, Roger's POV

Standing over Rocks' dying bodying laying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, Garp beside me, the island surrounding us is destroyed and very little of it left, the majority of his crew were killed from the battle and his strongest members bailed" you have any last words?" I asked" how can you say that to the man who wanted to rule the world? I'm out of here but I promise you we'll meet again." Garp said.

"We might as well be friends since we just won a world-ending battle." I said, he huffed and walked away as Rocks coughed up more blood" I can't say this in front of that marine or a manhunt will begin the moment I utter the words *cough* I have a son in the West Blue and I can't protect him from the dangers of the world, hell I can't protect him on a ship full of clashing personalities, I'm scared od those dangers that'll come for him eventually so I'm asking you, take care of my son and raise him for me." He said, my eyes widened.

"Why would I agree to take care of your son? I already have a kid on the crew and he's a handful as it is, 2 would be too much at this point." I said, he chuckled weakly" then drop him off with someone you trust, just get my son." He said, before he took his final breath he told me the island where his son is at,' this world is mad if the devil asked me to take care of his son.' I thought, turning heel and walking away from his body being joined by Rayleigh shortly after.