A New Start (Whitebeard Pirates x Child!Reader)

__________________ didn’t remember much from her life before living at the convent. She just remembered her parents letting her out the car and driving away. She didn’t even remember their faces or name. Ever since then, she lived in a convent with an crotchety old nun named Flora or Sister. Because it’s just them in the convent, Sister taught her a few things to be an extra pair of hands and to be able to take care of things if she needed to. She did laundry, cook, weed the garden, water the plants, light the church candles, sweep the steps, and taking alms and making novenas for people. It was hard work but it was better than being out on the streets. When she was usually done with her chores, Sister let her play outside the convent, mainly to get her out of her hair. She’ll usually find Ace and his friends and usually tag along with them until it was time for dinner. Sister wasn’t the best cook but it as far better than nothing. Her specialty was everything into the pot stew. She would eat her fill and then go to bed. This has been her life for two years. Then one day, something happened. Many people visited Sister. Sometimes it was just regular people who wanted to see inside the old chapel but sometimes it was rough looking people. Usually when this happened, she made herself scarce but this man really intrigued her. She watched from her usual hiding spot in the bell tower as a man got out of a luxury car. She looked at him intrigued. Before she could do anything, he looked up and dead at her. She froze and ducked down. She quickly went downstairs. A man that huge was surely up to no good! She went towards the garden. She stopped when she heard Sister. She peeked behind the corner.  

“What do you want?” Sister said leering at the huge man. ________________ froze. Huge was an understatement. The man was a giant. She’s been around other people in town and they towered over her but this man was in a league of his own. He was in a white suit, her hair covered with a black bandana, her eyes were gold and he had this great, white wide moustache, “What have I told you about bringing shit into this Church?”

“Oh please, I’m not Garp, Flora,” he said smiling at her. She smirked.

“I know, I’m still giving you a hard time,”

“Why? What did I do?”

“What didn’t you do?” he smirked.

“Oh? You mean that one night back when we were younger?” she flushed

“You naughty man, don’t bring that up!”

“You started it, I’m finishing it,” he said leaning in close, “Besides, it’s been too long before I saw you. Let me greet you properly…”

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” the pair turned as a mini blur went after the man and started punching and kicking at his knees, the only thing she could reach, “I’M NOT LETTING YOU HURT SISTER!” He watched in interest as the scrappy little girl tried to defend her caretaker. He took her by the nape of her shirt and lifted her up. He grinned at her. She on the other hand tried to punch and kick at him.

“SISTER RUN! SAVE YOURSELF! YOU’RE OLD AND YOU HAVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE TO LIVE!”  Flora sighed.

“This is _________________,”

“Scrappy, I love it!”

“LET ME GO SO I CAN FIGHT YOU!” the man snorts and tossed her into the air and held her by the shoulders. This surprised the little girl who was now shaken.

“Hello little lady,” he said with a sweet smile. He looked at Flora, “I thought you didn’t take in kids anymore,”

“I never did…put her down and we can talk. ________________ he’s not going to hurt me. Run along okay? I’ll be back,” she looked at the man and then Flora before doing as she was told and scampered away. Whitebeard was about to talk. Flora raised a finger before hearing a door close, “________________ is a special exception. Many parents don’t dump their kids off here anymore. But about two years ago, her parents did. She was seven at the time and has been here since. To make it odd, she’s a noble child. She came from a very rich family. I did some intel and she was actually promised to the middle son of the Vinsmoke family. Shortly after the visit, the parents dumped her off here. She’s a sweet girl with an adventurous and curious nature. I’ve seen her hang about Ace once in awhile,”

“I’ve seen her…do you know what happened between her family and the Vinsmoke?”

“I did some digging. A family visited the Vinsmoke’s empire and they left the same day. The oldest, the second, and fourth child all had sustained injuries to their faces and stomachs. I’m guessing she had something to do with it. But she doesn’t remember much from her old life. Child tend to forget things at seven,”

“I’m guessing she beat the ever living shit out of them,”

“Pretty much, she has spirit,”  

“Spirit is a good thing…it’s the best thing,” he said looking contemplative

“…what are you thinking?”

“I want to adopt her,”

“You sure about that?”

“I took Ace in,”

“Ace is a little boy, you don’t know how to raise a little girl,”

“No child deserves to be abandoned like that. With me she’ll have a family,”

“Edward…”

“Flora, please, I know you want to keep her but she’s an energetic child. Maybe…she’s the child we were suppose to have together?” she froze and then reddened before turning away.

“Fine, take her,”

“Flor, I didn’t,”

“Listen, you’re right okay. She’s a good girl and…you can give her what I can’t,”

“Flora…you know my offer still stands. The boys miss you too,”

“Pfft, they don’t need me anymore. They’re strong boys who don’t need a mother anymore,”

“They ALWAYS need a mother. But I know you have your reasons. But you know I won’t take ________________ unless you’re okay with it,”

“Consider this…me giving you the one thing you wanted the most, a child,”

“…damn it woman come here,” he embraced her tightly, "It's not your fault--that you can't have children,"

“Just know…I’m only doing this because….you can give her everything she needs to be a healthy and functioning little girl. Just promise me you'll take good care of her, okay?"

"I promise," he bade her goodbye and drove off. Flora watched him leave. She took a deep breath and went into the chapel and up the bell tower where ________________ sat there looking at Whitebeard driving away.

“Hey get down here you little monkey,” _______________ jumped and scampered down.

“Sister who was that man?! He was HUGE! What was he doing here?! Are YOU okay?”

“I’m fine and that mean has just agreed to adopt you,” something fell to the pit of her stomach.

“W-What?!”

“You heard me. In a few days, he’s going to take you back to his home and he’s going to be your father,”

“B-But I don’t wanna go! I wanna stay with you and take care of you!”

“You’re a nine year old; you can’t take care of anyone. Listen, he can give you a better life. You’re too spirited to be holed up here. We’ll spend the last few of your days here. Don’t you dare make a fuss either. It’s for your own good,” Flora was stern. She had to keep her guns up. _________________ realized she wasn’t messing around. She looked down and nodded sobbing.

“Y-Yes Sister,”

“Good, go set the table for supper,"

***
“Another kid?” said Marco. Whitebeard made an announcement at dinner the next morning. It just came as a shock, since the last kid they decided to adopt was Ace, who finally adjusted to live with the huge blended family.

“Mhm but this time, not a boy, we’re adopting a little girl,” everyone in the room’s attention was piqued. For the longest time, they didn’t have another addition, until Ace came a year prior. Now they were going to have a little girl with them.

“Does this mean we have to watch ourselves around her?” said Fosse, “Meaning no walking about naked,”

“You shouldn’t do that in the first place!” said Izo, “Oh I can’t wait to have a cute little girl to doll up! When is she coming?”  

“The day after tomorrow but there’s something you need to know about her. She’s been raised by Flora for two years,”

“And she survived?!” said they shouted

“Yeah, but I think she deserves a childhood. She won’t get that from Flora. She’s a tough kid; she tried to fight me, thinking I was trying to harm Flora. It was so cute!”

“…Is she the little girl who Ace hangs around with? The convent girl?” said Jozu

“One in the same,”

“SO cute! She looks so adorable in her little hakama!” said Izo, “Oh I can’t wait to see her!”

“I think we’re going to have to approach this more…delicately,” said Thatch smiling, “She may be a little skittish,”

“Why? We’re not going to hurt her,” said Whitebeard

“It took Ace a month, it shouldn’t take a girl that long,” said Vista

“Why would that be?” said Fosse, “If you remember, Ace tried to kill Pops that entire month and failed each time,”

“It was hilarious to watch though,” said Curiel

“I agree with Thatch,” said Kingdew, “We’re all tall and muscular. All of us coming at her at once would scare the shit out of her and that’s the last thing we want to do,”

“So what should we do? Not come to the house and everyone just come in slowly?”

“Yeah,” said Jozu, “Just a few of us first, then everyone gradually coming in. That there’s not a bombardment of people that could scare her,”

“What else do we have to do?”

“We have to prepare one of the rooms for her, get a bed, and…I don’t know what else little girls need,”

“Leave that to me,” said Izo, “Ace you’re helping!” Ace had just walked into the room.

“Helping with what?!”

“You’re going to have a new sister,” said Thatch

“Ugh why?! We don’t need a girl here! We have Izo!”

“We need another one and this one’s adorable!” said Izo, “And you’re going to help me and everyone made a room for her!”

“Tch, why should I?”

“Because you know her,” said Marco, “And know what she likes,”

“Do I?”

“It’s ________________. Pops is adopting her in a few days,” Ace froze, then his lit up.

“I-I guess I can help you guys! Pfft making a room for _________________ would be easy. Which room Pops?”

“The one on the third floor, that’s about two doors across from yours,” he grinned

“Okay. Meet you up there I guess,” before they could say anything, he run upstairs. Curiel snorts.

“Is he at that age that he’s curious about girls?”

“Kind of,” said Marco, “Okay let’s get her room set up. I guess since she and Ace are about the same age, they can learn the same thing,”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Thatch. Everyone agreed. They spent the next few days preparing for her arrival. On that day, only four were allowed in the house until she got adjusted: Marco, Thatch, Ace, and Whitebeard. Everyone had to make themselves scarce for awhile. Ace had the task of having someone her age to talk to. He also briefed them about their new arrival.

“She’s a girl but not super girly. She’s really fun to hang with and doesn’t cry like Luffy always does. She wears the same thing all the time because she’s a nun’s kid. Her room is super small and she’s always polite,”

“I can’t wait to meet this little lady,” said Thatch

“Me neither. It’ll be good to have someone Ace’s age for him to play with,”

“Ace, why don’t you check to see if ___________________’s room is perfect for her?” said Whitebeard.

“You got it Pops,” Marco and Thatch looked at him. They knew he had some information that he didn’t want Ace hearing.

“What is it Pops?”

“______________, Flora didn’t give away too many details but she was a child from a noble family. Her parents dumped her off two years ago and never looked back. Flora said she doesn’t even remember seeing them around the area since,”

“So her family must be from another area and dumped her here so there would be no trace back,” said Thatch, “Damn shame, she sounds like a good kid,”

“It’s a common noble practice,” said Marco, “If they don’t see any usefulness or if a child doesn’t comply…they’re dealt with. I wonder what she did,”

“She was betrothed to the middle son from the Vinsmoke family. For some reason she attacked three of the boys and her parents dumped her off at Flora’s convent,”

“Shit, if she did that she’s one of us already,”

“Three boys from a dangerous family like that? Took balls,”

“And she was punished for it by losing a home,” said Whitebeard, “So we’re giving her a home,”

“Does she remember anything from her family?”

“Nah, she’s been away for so long she doesn’t remember anything,”

“Hey, fresh start,” said Thatch, “Maybe we can train her to be strong,”

“One step at a time. For now, let’s give her a place to call home,”

***
_______________ was up and ready a few days after meeting Whitebeard. She didn’t have many things with her. The only thing she had a few items that Flora bought her. Flora made sure she was washed, clean, and prim when Whitebeard came. The little girl was gripping Flora’s hand.

“…_________________ listen you know you can always back to visit me right? I’m not abandoning you. You’re a great kid and anyone would be happy to have someone like you to be their daughter. Whitebeard…he can give you more than I can. I’ve known him for a very long time and you’ll be in good hands. Please, give him a chance. He’s not going to harm you,” she nodded, “I love you kiddo, please give him a chance, for me?” she nodded. Whitebeard got on one knee just to not intimidate the young girl. However, they didn’t help much because he was still taller than her. He offered his hand. She cautiously took it. She looked back as Flora. She gave her a wave as they drove away. ___________________ looked out the window as they drove. She was scared and nervous. Other than Sister and the convent, she didn’t know any other home. She gripped her seatbelt.

“We’re almost there little lady,” said Whitebeard smiling at her from the passenger seat. She nodded. He tried making small talk, “So do you have a favorite food?” she shook her head. Whitebeard winced to himself. If knew Flora, their diet probably consisted of vegetables from the garden, fish and rice. He tried again, “Ummm what’s your favorite color?”

“I really like (favorite color),”

“Oh that’s nice! Me too!” then she went silent again. He sighed and was happy when he saw the house. He parked and helped her out. Whitebeard ushered her to the door. She looked scared as he gently nudged her inside. She looked around. The house was huge. Sister told her that once upon a time, it used to be a Hongokan, boarding house that was set to be demolished until Whitebeard took it over and raised his sons there. He watched in interest. It was like seeing a kitten looking around a room for the first time. It was adorable. He gently touched her shoulder, “Let me show you to your room!”

It was a very nice room, a lot bigger than her old one at the convent. There a closet, a double bed, the room was (f/c) trimmed white and everything was nice and new. She cautiously went inside. Whitebeard smiled when she went into the closet and saw a lot of new clothes and things.

“A-All of these are mine?” he nodded. She bowed, “thank you very much, Mr. Whitebeard!” he cringed a bit. He didn’t like being called Mister. But he knew she was trying to be polite.

“You’re welcome! Come I have something for you downstairs!” she followed him back down. He ushered her to the kitchen. There was a familiar boy sitting at the table waiting for her. She perked up.

“About time you showed up,” said Ace smirking at her from the table

“Ace!” she hugged him tight.

“So you’re my new sister now?”

“I guess so!”

“Hiya Pops,” Whitebeard ruffled the boy’s head.

“Keep her busy, I’ll go get her surprise,” she looked up

“It’s not Ace?”

“Nah, something even better,” he walked off. Ace looked at her.

“Listen, I know Pops looks a little scary, hell they all do but they’re okay, I promise,” she looked a little apprehensive. He sighed and ruffled her hair, “Seriously! Just try and give them a chance! Try Marco and Thatch first!”

“Marco? Thatch?”

“Marco looks like a walking pineapple and Thatch is usually in the kitchens cooking,”

“I heard that pineapple remark,” ________________ saw two men enter the kitchen. One did in face resemble a pineapple. He smiled warmly at her and offered a hand. She gently took it, “My name is Marco, I’ve been here the longest. If you ever need anything, just let me know, okay?”

“Y-Yes sir!”

“Hey don’t call me sir, I’m your big brother. Like I’ll probably call you sis a lot,” she grinned as he pats her head.

“And I’m Thatch, whatever bad things Ace told you about us isn’t true,”

“He only said nice things!”

“Awww fire boy loves us,” Thatch smirked.

“I don’t! She looked so scared! I had to say something! She never had big brothers before!”

“Well, to be fair, we never had a little sister before,” said Marco, “guess we’ll all learn together, huh?”

“Yeah!” Whitebeard then emerged with a large cake. He gently sat it in front of her. It was a huge chocolate sheet cake with frosting roses and read “Welcome Home __________________!” in her favorite color.  

“Wow Pops, where did you get that one?”

“Bakery across town,” Thatch cuts four massive pieces and served her first. She looked at it puzzled.

“What’s the matter?” said Ace.

“What is this?” she said

“Dude its cake. Have you ever had cake before?” she shook her head. Marco chuckled.

“Well, Flora never had much of a sweet tooth. I bet she had cookies from time to time,” she nodded.

“Ginger snaps,”

“That’s Flora,” said Thatch chuckling, “Well try it!” she nodded and took a bite.

“This is GOOD!”

“I’m glad you like it!” said Whitebeard grinning. After cake, Ace showed her around the place. He showed her the bathrooms, then the courtyard, which was massive and beautiful, then back upstairs to his room.

“See told you this place wasn’t so bad,”

“It’s really big!”

“Nah, you’re just really small,”

“So are you!” she said

“Wait until you meet everyone else, a few are bigger than Marco but no one’s bigger than Pops,”

“There’s more?!”

“Yup,” her eyes widened, “Don’t worry, they’re not going to come at you at once but everyone’s really happy and excited to see you. Don’t see why, you’re just a girl,”

“Stop being mean!” that night, ________________ went to her room. It was huge and wide and nothing like the one in the convent. She tried getting comfortable but just couldn’t. She couldn’t fall asleep. She then heard her door open. Marco checked in on her. She sat up bowed.

“Don’t be so formal. What’s the matter?”

“I can’t sleep,” she said.

“Don’t blame you, it’s your first night,” he said and perched at the foot of her bed. She sat up. He grinned, “You know this used to be Hongokan, right?”

“Yeah! Sister said it was really big and famous back in the day,”

“Pops thought the place still had a lot of character. People from all walks of life used to come and stay here, kings, queens, prince, princesses, travelers, monks, adventurers, thieves, so many people, either for rest or for the hot spring. So you might find a few surprises around here. There’s even one in your room,”

“Really?” he nodded, “Where?”

“You see that latch right there?” he pointed to the wall next to her bed. She nodded, “Unhook it and pull the wood left. She got up and did so. To her surprise the wall moved, revealing it was a door and it led to a mini balcony where she could see the entire city from her bed.

“WOW!” he grinned.

“Beautiful isn’t it? When I was younger, I used to keep this slightly cracked so I could fall asleep watching the town and the stars,”

“Did it help?”

“Kind of and this,” he takes a blanket with a star and moon galaxy print, “as long as you sleep under this, you’re sleeping under the stars,”

“Does it work?”  

“Pops gave me one when I was your age and it helped me, maybe blanket magic will rub off on you. Want to give it a try?”

“Yes please!” he pats the bed. She goes to it and lays down. He then used the blanket to tuck her in tight. Almost like magic her eyes felt heavy. She looks at the sleeping city and the stars above. She yawned and closed her eyes. Marco grinned and closed the old door and re-latched it. He then quietly went to the door and closed it gently behind him.

***
For the next few days, ___________________ slowly got comfortable in her new home. It was quiet, like the convent, it was spacious, and she slowly started figuring out the secrets of the house slowly with Marco, Thatch, and Ace. However, things became…chaotic. She knew she would have a huge family, but she didn’t know that their definition of huge was well. One day she woke up to stomping, shouting, and other things. She peeked out of her room and was almost immediately stepped on. They apologized before they kept walking. She didn’t leave her room until Thatch guided her to breakfast. She was terrified to eat; she grabbed what she could and retreated to her room and hid under her security blanket. She then heard someone open the door and peeked out. Ace looked at her puzzled.

“So there you are,”

“W-Who are all those guys?!” she whimpered out

“…oh! Those are all your brothers! Did they introduce themselves?!” she shook her head and looked down He noticed how uncomfortable she looked, “Don’t tell me you got scared and ran,”

“They’re huge! One almost stepped on me!” he snorts. She looked so scared.

“Don’t worry, no one’s gonna hurt you. You can here if you want though,” she nodded, “trust me, things will look better in the morning,” however, she didn’t think so. Because she was so much smaller, she was able to weave in and out and everyone to get something to eat. She tried looking for Marco or Thatch but they were nowhere to be seen. She decided to hide in a closet and sobbed. She didn’t like this, not one bit. She stayed in the closet until she couldn’t hear any more noise. She peeked out and went to get something to eat. She saw a bunch of sandwiches on the table. She slowly approached. She reached for one when she saw something move. She froze. Whitebeard was stand next to her. She shook and looked up at him. He sat on a chair and smiled.

“Go on, they’re for everyone,” she immediately grabbed a sandwich, nodded in gratitude and ran back to her room. He sighed and took a bite out of his.

“Was that our new sister?!” said Izo, “She’s positively adorable! Aww Pops, what’s the matter?”

“She looks so scared. Maybe it was a bad idea to take her from Flora. But she seemed fine the other day,”

“Well, everyone was gone. She lived a very quiet life in the convent, this is going to take some getting used to,” upstairs, _________________ contemplated running back to the quietness of the convent. She didn’t have much to take ad if she left tomorrow, she could probably get there in time for dinner. Then again, she did like Marco and Thatch…and Ace did say to try and get to know everyone. It’s only been a week after all. That night, once again, she couldn’t sleep, even with her magic security blanket. She got up decided to walk around. She was thirsty so she got herself a glass of water and went on the adventure of looking for her room. But she became terribly lost. She opened each door and peeked in. None of these rooms were hers. She finally got to a room and saw a sleeping man inside but not just any man. Marco. She drank her water and set the cup on the table nearby. Marco was sleeping soundly. She moved the blanket aside and slowly got in and closed her eyes. She felt safe again as she drifted off to sleep. Marco glanced over a sleeping girl next to him. He smiled before moving over and trying to go back to sleep, until he felt tiny hands holding his arm protectively. He sighed and pats her head. In the morning the entire house was in a panic. Izo and Fossa decided they were going to gently wake up _________________ and introduce themselves, only to realize she wasn’t in her bed or room. They checked the bathrooms; they checked everywhere she could have been. The entire house looked everywhere for her. Whitebeard called Flora to see if she showed up and that turned up nothing.

“Where could she have gone?!” said Curiel

“Did she get stuck somewhere?!” said Kingdew

“Maybe she went outside into the garden and fell into a hole or something!” said Namur

“Or a well!” said Blamenco, “Kids are always falling down in wells!”

“WE DON’T HAVE A WELL!” said Thatch

“THERE’S ALWAYS WELLS!”

“What’s the matter with you all?” said Marco calmly coming downstairs and pouring himself some coffee, “You’re all noisier than usual,”

“____________________ FELL DOWN A WELL!” said Bleheim

“No we just can’t FIND her!” said Rakuyo, “We looked everywhere!”

“Pops can’t even find her! He’s worried sick!” said Speed Jill

“Oh. She’s in my room sleeping,” said Marco sipping his coffee.

“What?!” said the rest.

“Yeah, she wandered in last night, pulled back the blanket, curled up and went to sleep. This morning she was still sleeping. I think she got scared and found me. She’s still adjusting,”

“She still doesn’t like me,” Whitebeard sighed coming downstairs, “I think that’s why she’s been hiding,”

“Aww Pops! She’s still adjusting!” said Izo, “Poor little thing. It’s going to take awhile,”

“Why? It didn’t take us a long time to adjust!” said Vista, “Most of us took to Pops in a few hours or days,”

“She’s nine, a little girl, and surrounded by giants,” said Thatch, “She probably think we’re going to eat her or something,”

“She looks stringy to be honest,” said Namur, “We’d have to boil her at least a few hours and even then not enough for a meal,” Everyone stared at him, “Just saying!”

“Thatch is right; we’re all six or more feet. Pops alone is thirteen feet,” said Jozu, “She’s probably think we’re going to step on her,”

“Anyway, just be very cautious around her, she’s still skittish,” said Marco. He went upstairs to see ______________ looking around and yawning. She froze when she saw him. He smiled.

“Morning little lady,”

“M-Morning!”

“Want to come down for breakfast? We made pancakes and bacon and eggs,” her stomach growled. He chuckles, “And we found this (favorite color) outfit. It’s a coveralls skirt with a black blouse, perfect for a little explorer. It’s in your room if you want to wear it,” She nodded. He offered his hand. She took it and he ushered her to get dressed and freshened up. Once finished she sought him out and clung to his shirt. He smiled and led her downstairs. He smiled at her.

“You had us all worried for awhile. Two of your brothers came looking for you to say hi and you weren’t in your bed. Pops almost tore the street apart looking for you,”

“I didn’t mean to make everyone worried!” she said. Marco chuckled and pats her head.

“Don’t worry, you’re okay, we just wanted to know if you were okay! You’re about to meet the rest of your brothers. They’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a very long time,” she nodded as they made their downstairs. In the kitchens, everyone was eating when Marco came down with ________________, “As many of you know, this is _______________, our new little sister. She’s going to be living with us from now on,” she smiled weakly. The men stared. She really was shorter and smaller than all of them, then again so was Ace but he made himself known. Marco made himself scarce. She bowed.

“I-It’s very nice to meet you all! I-I didn’t mean to make you all worried! I-I got lost last night and I didn’t know where to go! S-So I went to M-Marco’s room and went to sleep. I-I’m sorry!”

“OH MY GOD! She’s so cute!” Izo scooped her up and snuggled her, “I’m your big brother Izo! Well more like big sister compared to them but we’re going to be gal pals!”

“N-Nice to meet you!” she smiled nervously.

“Aww she loves me more than you assholes already!” he snuggled her close, “In fact, we’re going to spend the whole day together so we can get to know each other! Come along!”

“O-Okay!”

“Damn it Izo!” said Curiel

“Not fair!” said Fosse

“He’s going to turn her girly!”

“No worst, another Izo,” said Namur

“Humph! You WISH there was another me! There should be MORE of mes!”

"Everyone calm down. I'm sure he won't do anything that would harm her or change her,” said Marco as he walked back inside to see what's going on, “Izo, let everyone else spend time with her too,”

“Okay, okay, humph,”

“You have two hours, then I’m going to take her!” said Namur

“Fine, fine!” he grinned at her, “Come on!” Izo’s room was huge, with guns displayed on the walls, along with fans and art, two black dressing panels that had a sakura blossoms design on them and a closet filled with clothes and things. He took her to his bed and sat next to her.

“I’ve been waiting for a cute little girl to doll up! Oh we have to do something with this hair! Did you do it?”

“Sometimes, or Sister,” Izo grins and takes out a comb and brush and got to work making ________________ a nice long French braid. He then went into his closet and started taking out things. He examined her for a few moments before giving her in a (f/c) changshan and a pair of black pants, “Here try these on!” he pointed to the dressing panel. She changed into the clothes and came out. Izo had a mirror ready. She grinned. She liked her new clothes, “How are they?”

“Comfy!”

“That’s exactly what I like hearing! Oh you’re going to be so cute when I’m finished with you! Are your ears pierced?” he checked, “Oh good! I have pair of studs that are going to look adorable on you! I would let you try on my hoops but they’re a bit too long for you darling!” Izo went searching for them. He laid out a bunch of pearl earrings and told her to pick one. She picked the white ones. “Excellent choice! Pearls look so elegant on ladies and make little girls so proper!”

“You wear earrings too?”

“Most of the time when I’m not training or anything. I look a sight that day; then again that’s why I have water and sweat resistant make up,”

“Say Izo, are you a man or a woman?” Izo smiled. She covered her mouth, “I didn’t mean to insult—,”

“Oh please. It’s okay hon. I’m a man who likes wearing women’s things and being a woman,”

“So you’re a woman?” Izo grinned

“Pretty much!”

“Okay! Can I call you Big Sis?” Izo placed his hands over his chest.

“OF COURSE YOU CAN!” he hugged her tightly and nuzzled her cheek, “Wait, wait the finishing touch!” he takes out a butterfly hair clip and attached it to her hair, “Perfect!”

“Izo it’s my turn now to be with her!” said Namur walking in.

“Hey! Knock before entering! There are ladies dressing in this room! ________________ looked up at Izo. He ruffled his hair.

“It’s okay. Namur is harmless!” Namur gave her a toothy grin. She goes over to him. He takes her hand and takes her out of the room.

“Come on! I have a ton of shark teeth I want you to see!”

***
It’s been a few weeks and ________________ was slowly adjusting in the huge boarding house home. She learned there were sixteen people living with Whitebeard however, there were like tons of other brothers living next door and around the neighborhood. Thanks to Marco, she was introduced and hugged and claimed as their only sister and spent time with each of them getting to know them. She was told the whole neighborhood was hers to explore but she shouldn’t adventure any farther than a black line area. Fosse told her about one of Whitebeard’s sons who tried to kill Thatch and was caught before he could achieve it and he fled and created the Blackbeard territory.

“That fuc—funny man betrayed us and tried to kill our brother. He attacked Ace some time ago and he won’t hesitate in hurting a little girl either,” her eyes widened, “And he doesn’t know who you are yet, let’s keep it that way, okay kid?” she took the advice to heart. Izo loved taking her into his room just to have her try and clothes and doll up. She liked that. She loved watching Thatch cook and helping him with chopping and things. Vista’s room had a small deck and she loved smelling the roses and helping him with him. Curiel showed her how to fire his flamethrower guns and use gunpowder to make them. She was gradually adjusting to her new family, even not hiding as much, which was a lot in the beginning. However, she only hid when one person came about, Whitebeard. Because she was so short, she could wedge herself in small areas of the house. Whenever Whitebeard came home, __________________ was usually gone by the time he came through the door. She would slip away and usually it was the closet but she was found in all kinds of places, even behind a fox statue in a space just small enough for her. He wouldn’t see her for the rest of the day and she would emerged when she knew he was gone.

“You don’t have to hide you know,” said Marco as she peeked out of the closet, “Pops wouldn’t hurt a fly,” she was not taking that chance. Marco held out his hand, “Come on,” she took it as she gets out and scampered upstairs. Whitebeard sighed.

“It’s been almost a month Marco,”

“Give it time. Maybe you two can find a common interest. She’s been sifting through all of us,”

“She’s saving the best for last, Pops,” said Jozu

“I hope,” upstairs, ______________ was pulled into Ace’s room. He shoved a controller in her hands and they started playing.

“You really are a spaz,” he said not looking up from game

“What did I do?!”

“Acting weird around Pops. Scared of him or something?” he snorts. He then glanced over and noticed that she had her head down, “Oh shit, really?”

“Wouldn’t you be?! I tried to fight him and he overpowered me!”

“You tried to fight Pops too? Wow…I commend you,”

“I thought he was trying to hurt Sister so I attacked! Then the next thing I know, I’m being adopted by him!”

“That means you’re stuck with us forever,” he said, “Get used to it,” she glared at him, “Seriously, why do you want to stay in that convent?”

“That convent was my home! Sister was really nice to me…borderline sadistic but she always was nice to me!”

“Give him a chance, will you?”

“It took you awhile!”

“I’m a boy, we’re naturally stupid, you’re a girl so don’t be stupid,” she decided to go to bed early. She hopped into bed and hunkered down. She yawned. Since coming to the house, someone was always there to tuck her in. She was getting used to it but she also had to remember, she was a older kid and didn’t need it every time. The door opened and Jozu walked in. He placed a glass of water on her nightstand and then tucked her into bed. He looked at her a few moments and pats her head a few times. She reddened.

“Night Jozu!”

“Night,” she woke up really early the next morning. She couldn’t smell anything but she heard a lot of breathing. Everyone was still sleeping. She looked at her clock. It was about seven. She got dressed. Today it was one of the plain cotton changshan that Izo got her and pants. She decided look around the big house again. It became her little hobby. Because the house was actually an old Hongokan, or boarding house, it was hard to navigate and remember where things were. She made it downstairs and discovered a huge hot spring under the place. Also there were about seventy rooms in the house. She noticed that while most were bedrooms, some rooms were hobby rooms, some were storage, some were empty but some had awesome things like weapons, she found one that looked like the dojo Sister had in the convent and even a hidden bathroom that one seemed to use. Because the place was so big, it felt like she was a different house all together sometimes. She made to the other end of the huge house within two days, marking where she left off. She decided to venture further up. She found some stairs. She avoided them, mainly because she scared of what she would find but today, since it was early, she was going to conquer her fear. She cautiously went up the stairs. She opened the door as the light blinded her. Her eyes focused and she saw the last thing she expected to see. It was a beautiful rooftop garden. She looked around and saw canopies of plants growing above her. She walked about in interest. She didn’t know this was up here. There was a fence around it but she climbed the winding stairs and saw the entire city. She looked at it in awe. She savored the moment before shimming down. She spied a peach on one of the trees and picked it and started munching on it. She went to grab another when she saw a figure moving in the corner of her eye. She froze and turned. Whitebeard was absentmindedly watering a few bushes. She looked over at him. He then stood up and turned only to be greeted to a little girl. He smiled at her.

“Enjoying the peach?” her eyes widened.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know it was yours!”

“Did you pick it?” she nodded, “Then it’s yours,” he patted her head, “Like my garden?”

“This is your garden?!”

“Mhm, been growing and tending to it since I lived here,”

“It’s beautiful!” he chuckled.

“Thank you. The boys used to play up here all the time, not so much anymore and Ace usually runs off to play with Luffy and Sabo, so I guess the secret garden has you to explore it,”

“Really?! Thank you!” he grinned.

“Ever garden?”

“Yeah! Sister had one at the convent! It wasn’t as nice as this one. And she made me water and weed it all the time. She said it built character,”

“Water yes but weeding is a pain. But I can use some help around here. If you want, you can do watering and harvesting duty for me,”

“Really?! Okay!” he chuckled, “It’s the least I can do! Especially since you’re letting me play up here!” he grinned and ruffled her hair.

“You live here now, so that means it’s your garden too,”

“R-Really?” he nodded

“Just like your room,”

“B-But it’s your house!”

“And you’re my daughter. As long as you stay, that room is yours. It’s your personal space and your safe haven,”

“T-Thank you sir!”

“Don’t call me sir, please just call me Pops!”

“I-I’m trying!” he sighed and pats her head. Whitebeard thought to himself, they were alone. There weren’t any distractions. He could finally bond and get to know her better. He smiled at the little girl,”

“So other than gardening and exploring, what else do you like doing? Are you getting along with your brothers?”

“Well, I like cooking with Thatch! Sister used to just have me chop things to make all kind of soups and broths. With Thatch we made a lot of things that are delicious. N-Namur and me have been making things out of his shark teeth! Izo likes to dress me up in pretty dresses and clothes! I like them but I also like to be around Marco in his study with a book or helping Vista prune his roses. What do you like doing for fun?”

“Well, I like to garden, I like grilling more instead of cooking especially after we go fishing,” she looked at him puzzled.

“What’s fishing?” he looked at her.

“You’ve never been fishing?” she shook her head. Whitebeard looked at his watch. It was only about nine o’clock and on a weekday. By the time they get to the waters, the fish should be biting. She was dressed and ready, “Let’s go. We’re going fishing,”

***
“WOW!” Whitebeard smiled watching the little girl look over the edge of the boat as he took the boat out to the middle of the sea.  ______________ never been this far out before or on a boat and she was taking it all in. The boat was massive with an under carriage to store fish, an area for rest, and a place for snacks. When they were far enough, he showed her how to bait the lines and cast off. She held onto her pole. They were silent for awhile. Whitebeard had no idea what to say.

“So…what do you like to do for fun?” he asked.

“I like to collect rocks!”

“Rocks?”

“Yah! They’re so cool! Sister said it was weird but I really like them for some reason,”

“You know when I was about your age I used to collect sticks,” she looked up.

“You did?”

“Aye, I did. I still have some of them in my room. Some are as old as time,”

“May I see them? I’ll show you my rocks!”

“I would be honored to see them!” he then felt something tug. He gripped his pole and reeled in a massive marlin.

“WOW! Is that what we’re fishing?”

“Yep! Marlin are huge and enough to feed an army and they taste great. Open that hatch for me,” she nodded and opened the hatch. Whitebeard flung it inside. He closed the hatch, “It’s filled with ice down there so we can keep it fresh for eating later,”

“Ah okay!”

“Let’s see if we can catch a few more!”

“Okay!” they cast out their line again. After some moments of silence, another fish snagged onto Whitebeard’s line. It was just as big as the first one. _______________ opened the hatch and the second fish met its fate like the other. _______________ looked intently at the water. Everything was so nice and calm and serene. She liked it. She loved the smell of the ocean, she loved the sound of the water hitting the boat, and she loved the calming rock of the boat. She was also enjoying Whitebeard’s company. She glanced up at him. He was peaceful looking. He was gazing at the sea with her. She noticed that his eyes were gentle. Not frightening as she thought. He had a very soft face and reminded her of those wise old men she read about in her books.

“So tell me,” he said not tearing his gaze from the water, “So do you remember anything about your mother and father?”

“Nah, I don’t remember much,” she said looking out into the water, “The only thing I remember was them packing up my things and dropping me off at the convent. Ever since then, Sister took care of me. She said that they just didn’t want a kid right now. At least they didn’t abandon me on the roadside or something, I’m happy for that,” she said.

“So no memories of your parents?”

“I remember Mom wore this necklace and I remember Dad dressed in black, that’s it. I don’t even remember their faces. Besides, Sister is kinda my mom,” he grinned and patted her head, “Does this mean you’re my Dad now, Mr. Whitebeard?”

“Aye it does but please, please, please call me—,”

“ACK! I got something!” __________________ hung onto her pole as she a sharp tug almost send her out of the boat.. Whitebeard grabbed her she hung on for dear life.

“KEEP HER STEADY! Reel and pull!” she started pulling and reeling with Whitebeard holding her close. He slowly moved his hands onto her smaller ones and in one swift motion they yanked. A giant marlin flew out of the water. __________________ was shocked and in pure amazement as Whitebeard caught it and wrestled it into the hangar below with the smaller ones he caught. He panted and laughed.

“I think we have enough for today! Wouldn’t you think?”

“YEAH!” they headed back to port where he showed her how to cut and clean the massive fish before having someone do it for them. Whitebeard took one of the cut pieces and took a bite, “You can eat it raw?!” he nodded.

“It’s sashimi at this point. The freshest ever!” he slices a bit and handed it to her. She bit into it.

“…this is good!”

“Just some added perks to hanging out with me!” on the way home, she kept looking back at the wrapped packages of fish in the back seat.

“Are we going to eat it today?” she said grinning at him from her seat.

“Hmmm it’s about five now. Thatch probably cooked something already. We’ll eat it tomorrow!”

“Okay!” she yawned and got comfortable in her seat.

“Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah! I never went fishing before! I like fishing! Can we do it again along with gardening? Please?” he smiled and ruffled her hair.

“Sure if you want to!” he passed an old seafood diner, “Hungry?” she nodded as he pulled up. He ordered crab, salmon, marlin, and even oysters. He watched as she ate her fill. He loved seeing kids happy and enjoying their food. _____________ never had food this good.  They got home at around seven. Everyone was eating or finished eating. Izo was the first to greet them.

“Welcome ho—oh dear god!” he covered his nose, “Pops! Where have you been?!”

“Fishing with my daughter,” he said proudly

“You took her fishing?!” said Rakuyo, “Lucky!”

“Did you catch anything?” said Jozu

“YEAH! I caught a fish thiiiiiiiiiiiis Big!” she said happily at them.

“Let’s fire up that grill and cook ‘em up!” said Bleheim

“Nah it’s too late,” said Whitebeard, “This weekend though,”

“Fuck yeah!” said Ace grinning

“Language boy!” said Thatch

“Yeah watch your fuckin’ mouth,” said Fossa

“Damn it! Stop swearing in front of the kids!”

“So I need to get a swear jar? I don’t tempt me,” said Marco

“That’s all fine and dandy but you reek!”

“Izo it’s not that—,” Thatch recoiled, “Did you guys gut the fish yourselves?!”

“We don’t smell!” ______________retorted

“Yes you do. Come on,” Izo picked her up and headed to the bathroom, “Before the smell settles into your skin,” After Izo gave her a hot bath; ______________ went to Ace’s room where he was playing Mario. He paused and tossed her a controller.

“Thanks Ace!”

“So, you and Pops had fun?” she nodded and happily told him about her day.

“Yep! I never ate raw fish before! It was good! Then we had seafood! I never had crab before! I didn’t like the oysters though. They were slimy and ugh!” Ace smiled at her as she told him everything.

“So you finally like Pops now?”

“…it wasn’t like I didn’t like him…I was terrified of him. I thought he was going to hurt Sister and step on me!” Ace laughed

“He wouldn’t. He is strong and can be scary but he’s alright. So you’re gonna hold off your plans to run away?” she froze for a few moments.

“How did you know that?”

“No kid has a backpack with water and food that’s enough to feed themselves for a week,”

“Did you tell anyone?”

“It’s not my business if you leave or not. Why would you though?” she looked down.

“I was scared. I never had a family before, not one I could remember and I must have done something really bad for them to not want me anymore. Everyone here was so scary at first. I thought I was going to be stepped on. Then everyone was really nice and well…I didn’t want to take me back to Sister if I was bad again. But…Mr. Whitebeard is really nice! He’s so warm! And he likes to show me everything!”

“Yeah, Pops is amazing! And if you left, you would break the old man’s heart. Family isn’t supposed to abandon you; they’re suppose to take care of you! My mom can’t because she’s dead and I don’t give a shit either way about my dad. If your family abandoned you, they’re not your family. We’re your family now,” tears rolled down her face. He froze and started scrambling for a tissue, “Marco said girls are different but you’re like a boy! Luffy cries a lot too!”

“This is happy crying you jerk!” she sobbed and blew her nose.

“Girls are weird. Anyway, you better not run away. Because if you do, I have to look for you again. And I’m too busy to look for a girl. I already have to take care of Luffy, don’t be stupid and a pain in the ass like him,” she hugged him tightly. He reddened and just let it happen. Whitebeard had tears in his eyes as he stood by the door with Marco.

“Wow, you two really bonded today,”

“It was spontaneous but it worked! I’m so happy! She’s finally opening up to me!”

“I think she’ll open up more but remember, don’t rush into it,”

“Okay, okay,” he turned and headed upstairs, “I just wish she’d call me Pops,” Marco popped his head into the room some time later.

“Okay you two, time for bed,”

“Oh come on, it’s not that late!” said Ace

“It’s after eleven o’clock and ____________________ looks like she’s done,” Ace was about to retort when he saw the droopy eyed girl. She wobbled up and followed him to her room where she curled up in bed. Marco tucked her in.

“Marco?”

“Hm?”

“Ummm Can we all go fishing one day? The whole family?” he grinned at her.

“Yeah, one day but not now, we have plenty to eat,”

“I know…I caught one!”

“I heard, we’ll have a feast tomorrow, thanks you and Pops,”

“I’m glad…” she yawned, “Never had a grilled fish,” she was drifting to sleep, “Sounds tasty…”

“Goodnight,” he pecked her forehead.

“Night Big Brother,”

***
The three men have been watching the little girl for about two weeks now. Almost every other day, she would walk to a little store about a block away and come back to the area and then presumably home. They didn’t know where home was but that didn’t matter. They just wanted the little girl. She was a little kid that looked about eight or nine with (h/c) hair and (e/c) eyes and she was always carrying a randoseru that they knew was probably a utility backpack. This was perfect because those features were highly prized for their clientele, especially a small child. She could easily be sold overseas, harvested, and other things. She was always alone, so she had either no family or her family was nobodies. Either way, the kid was a good score. She passed by their car and that was when they made their move.

“Hi little girl!” the first man said, “Where are you going?” she backed away from him. Sister always told her to never talk to strangers in or near a car. She started walking faster, “Don’t be afraid little one! Your Mom told me to pick you up! She’s at the hospital!” now she KNEW this man was lying. She didn’t have a mom. She ran as another stepped in her path. She froze. He reached out to grab her. She jumped back and screamed.

“HELP! STRANGER DANGER! YOU’RE NOT SAFE! YOU’RE NOT SAFE! I DON’T KNOW YOU!” this startled the men and gave her the chance to run. They took chase and followed the little girl all over the area. There weren’t people out on the street and this worked to the men’s advantage but ________________ was fast and threw things in her path in order to trip them up.  She ran from the strange men as fast as she could. She scaled the fence and landed before running again. She ran through another alley and jumped on a box to get over the fence this time. However, one of the men grabbed her leg and pulled her down. She yelped as she bit and kicked at them, “Let me go! HELP!” it earned her a punch across the face. She winced and whimpered. She couldn’t feel the right side of her face and it felt as though it as tingling.

“You little shit! When I’m done with you that little attitude of yours is going to be gone! If you would have gone quietly, you wouldn’t have been hit you little bitch. I say we sell her to the Celestial Dragons and let them deal with it!”

“She’s kind of ratty looking to be a servant. But she’s scrappy; they’ll probably make her fight for sport,”  

“I’m not going with you! I don’t even know you! You’re bad people!” said _______________ trying to get away.

“Who cares, ain’t no one gonna help you anyway, you’re just some pathetic little orphan,”

“I’m not a orphan! I have a family! And they’re going to save me!”

“Oh? Then where are they, huh?”

“Right here,” they turned to see two very large men behind them. Something fell to the pit of their stomachs. They knew who they men were. One was the first division command and one was the fourth of the territory they were in. They looked at the three men murderously.

“…L-Let the kid go,”

“B-But Boss—,”

“I SAID LET HER GO!” the man lets her go and she immediately ran to Marco and Thatch sobbing hard, “W-We don’t want no trouble,”

“Oh? Look like you do since you chased our little sister into an alley,” said Izo from above with Jozu and Fosse.

“Looks like these idiots were asking to die,” said Fosse. Marco was on his knee tending to ______________’s face.

“Can you see out of it?” he said making her following his finger with her eyes. She nodded.

“But it’s blurry,”

“I see,” she heard a voice from behind. Whitebeard towered over them all. He looked at _____________ with a smile. She smiled back as he pats her head, “We’ll meet you at home. Izo, mind taking her home? Dish her some ice cream and call a doctor about that eye,”

“Sure thing Pops!” she scampered to Izo who picked her up onto his shoulders, “Come along, a girl your age shouldn’t see such violence!”

***
At home, the doctor treated _______________’s eye. The hit caused damage to her iris and an eye patch and medicine was required. Izo sent Ace out to get one from the store while ____________ laid on the couch with an ice pack on her eye and ice cream. She was shaken but otherwise fine. Izo kept an eye on her.

“As soon as Ace gets back, you’re going to wear that patch for awhile. At least it’s just for a week before another check up. You poor thing! Those assholes are going to pay for hurting that cute little face! You’re not going to be able to read or awhile because of that eye. We’ll read you a story every night until its better,”

“H-How did you guys find me?” she said looking at him.

“Oh, when you leave every day, Ace, Luffy, and Sabo follow you to make sure get back to the store okay. They do it for stealth training. Today, they heard you scream and Luffy ran and told us while Ace and Sabo followed behind them. When they cornered you, Ace and Sabo were ready but Thatch and Marco got to them first. Good thing you yelled,” Izo noticed her uneasy look, “Hey, hey you didn’t do anything bad! Those men were going to take you away and you would never been seen again! You probably saved more kids just by running and yelling,”

“Really? W-Why did they want me?”

“Those men…were a part of the Trade. They take children and sell them to other people as slaves. Most of the time, the kids are orphans, sometimes they have families. Once they’re taken, they’re never seen again,”

“That’s terrible!”

“It is, they’re really ballsy too if they’re coming into Pop’s territory and doing it,”

“Territory?” Izo looked at her

“I forget you don’t know anything about the area yet,”

“He’s talking about the territories around the area,” said Ace coming back into the house, “We’re in Pops territory but there’s other territories around. Every territory has rules and junk and usually people leave you alone depending on the territory, unless you do something you’re not supposed to,”

“Like what?”

“That’s enough of that for now,” Izo took out the eye patch and slip it on her right eye. About an hour later, everyone came back home. Whitebeard was barely in the door when he felt something clinging to his leg. He looked down to see __________________ clinging on without saying a word. He smiled and scooped her up. Tears were in her eye. He held her close.

“Shhh it’s okay, you’re safe now,” Pops decided to order out since everyone was on edge after thinking that ______________ would have never been seen again. They ordered a bunch of things and everyone dug in. Many of the foods ______________ didn’t know what they were. Ace helped her along grabbing things right and left for her. She happily munched on pizza, Thai BBQ, jasmine rice, burgers, and fries. A few hours later, everyone was stuffed. She was so full and she yawned. Izo took her and Ace upstairs for a bath. Ace went into his bathroom and slammed the door. He sighed.

“Little girls are so much easier to raise,” when _______________ was done, Marco was waiting to put her to bed.  

“Umm actually Marco, can Mr. Whitebeard tuck me in?” Whitebeard was heading to his room but stopped when he heard his name and the tiny request. She looked up at him with large (e/c) eyes, “Please?”

“Of course!” ____________ hunkered into the blankets as Whitebeard tucked her into bed. He hadn’t tucked in a child since the boys were younger. Ace refused to be tucked in. She was securely tucked in as she yawned and he told her stories of pirates and gold and treasure and the like.

“The King of the Sea fought valiantly against the King of the Pirates. The old sea dog was no match for the mighty twelve foot king and he immediately succeeded to him. However, the Sea King did not want the title of Pirate King and allowed the man to live. So the pair turned and walked away from the other, off to fight another day,” She giggled.

“Did all of that stuff really happen?”

“Of course it did!”

“Did they ever find the treasure?”

“That is for another time,” he said bent down and kissed her forehead, “For now, you get some sleep,”

“Okay Pops,” she yawned, “I love you, goodnight!” Whitebeard stopped in his tracks. He looked back to see ________________ settled in bed and had closed her eyes to dozed off. She finally called him Pops and she said she loved him! He went over to her, pulled her out of bed and hugged her tightly.

“I love you too my little girl!”

“Ack Pops! You’re squeezing me!”

“Shhh it’s okay! I love my little girl so much!”

“Can’t breathe! Too much love!”