Uh uh uh @clockwayswrites
*ding dong* heretakethisIloveyourworkbye!! *ditches this on your doorstep*
Please ignore the poor anatomy.
I can't get over the eldritch bird preening Batman's ears.
DANGLEY HOOD LEGS
For reals tho. Clockway's Birdritch AU is scratching an itch in my brain. I had these doodles on a piece of paper for so long... I finally got it on my computer and rendered. I don't trust myself with colors recently tho, so grayscale it is! Except for the bird. He didn't look right with any kinda shading, so startling white it is!
Go read the DP x DC birdritch AU. Is fun!
BONUS:
Was inspired by the wonderful post by @hailed-marys so me and @sam-i-am-27 got possessed by the demons and came out with this.
HC list under the cut
* Astrophage is more like a virus that either alters people, causing them to commit crimes or violent acts, or a power that supervillains are starting to use.
* Grace is still a middle school teacher who got bitten by the spider, obviously.
* Adrian is the one who stitched up the suit (the Aunt May of this universe).
* He has all the perks of a normal Spider-Man, but he's still Grace, so he's incredibly clumsy. He does have a super-strong spider sense, and that's what saves him 100% of the time, but he absolutely does not have the agility. When adrenaline kicks in, he can do anything, but otherwise he'll trip over the most ridiculous things.
* He was wearing his yellow raincoat the first time he saved someone, so now he wears it over his suit (along with his white Converse).
* The spider was discovered by SHIELD (which is undercover as a scientific research facility that Grace works for part-time). After the original test subjects (who were only able to survive the spider mutations if they possessed a specific gene) were killed in an attack, Eva delivered the spider to Grace so he could be bitten before other villains got their hands on that power. (My boy gets unwillingly turned into a savior in every universe.)
* Simon is still an ex-convict who, in exchange for his freedom, is asked by the evil company of the day to test a series of mines infected by what appears to be blood from a meteorite (which eventually turns out to be the symbiote Ellie!).
* At first, they wanted to kill each other, but they end up becoming besties.
Concept doodles for Mermaid AU Origins instead of studying!
Baby Luffy’s scales wouldn’t get their cool colors and patterns until he’s older, and Ace and Sabo can’t comprehend what Mermaid Gramps would look like
pov: grace tries to explore outside the biodome, only to find himself in a first person horror game in a foggy pitch dark hellscape with many alien rock spiders, scuttling in and out of the darkness. at least they're all friendly!
Random Crossover AU idea I had at random but have to present for judgement.
Project Hail Mary x One Piece
Somehow Grace and Rocky are able to send the Taumoeba ahead to Rocky’s planet and during the travel to Erid, black hole / reality folding bullshit / or devil fruit bullshit leads to Grace and Rocky in the One Piece universe.
Which somehow allows Rocky and Grace to breathe the same air without killing them and finally able to touch each other.
Grace and Rocky must now work together to fix up their technology skills and abilities to now survive the One Piece world.
(Also can see the possibility of Rocky have amazing observation Haki because of his biology and I can see Grace slowly growing in strength but is more inclined to observation Haki, could also see him gaining a small amount of armament Haki from is so many near death events from before, and also having a similar charisma of Buggy’s of failing upwards but Grace is actually competent and just isn’t as confident in himself.)
I can see Grace and Rocky only joining three crews. And probably finding out about how terrible the world government.
1st Whitebeard Pirates: Giving Grace and Rocky a home and a place to belong to again after losing so many people and not knowing how to get back. Really I just want to see Pre-Ace joining the Whitebeard crew have Grace and Rocky on the crew be teachers and scientists. But be there for when Ace joins to make him feel more loved and have more self worth after going through their own problems from before joining the crew.
2nd Straw Hat Pirates: A given but more along the lines of Luffy liking these funky guys they found out at sea probably a little after post-Arabasta or after the Skypiea arc. Grace’s dream being to teach what he knows and that information should be shared, and Rocky’s dream being more along the lines of sticking with Grace and not being alone again. Grace would be a Scientist and teacher for the crew and Rocky would be an engineer. They probably would fall for Luffy’s Luffyness. But also the SUN is a star Grace and Rocky saved the stars and cherish them. The Nika is Luffy would probably tell unconsciously that they are important to him and deserve freedom.
3rd Heart Pirates: Doctor meet Scientists and engineer. Space ship similarities to submarine, Grace helping with research and being able to try and find life that doesn’t run on water again, and Rocky acting as an Engineer for the Submarine.
This is all I’ve got so far. You could also add in the Coltland twin AU to this crossover or the BloodyMary AU. Or mash all of them together. I just wanted to present this AU idea.
Which crew would you rather Grace and Rocky be on?
A concept: Mihawk that's really protective of the Baratie and of Zeff and Sanji.
Maybe when he was young and gunning for the best swords man title he hits a rough patch or a roadblock, maybe he just ran out of money or supplies.
So he comes upon the cook pirates and demands all their food, Zeff just looks at the kid that clearly hasn't eaten in a couple weeks doesn't say a word a brings him a huge plate of food. Maybe he hasn't been shown kindness in a while so when Zeff insists he stays until he's back to a healthy weight Mihawk is shocked. He doesn't forget that kindness or what being taken care of by the cook pirates fells like.
Years later he comes to the Baratie after being the Best for years he is bored and aimless but when he talks to the little kid with blue eyes about his dream it makes hope stir in his chest, there's still so much to do out there.
I just love the idea of uncle Mihawk, Sanji running up to him asking if he found the All blue in his last trip to the grand line.
No one has any idea they are connected at all until they notice Sanji speaks to him way to casually.
Mihawk finding about White beard visiting the Baratie and going straight to him sword drawn like "State you intentions, if I judge them impure you'll have to fall by my blade" and everyone just being super confused about wtf he's talking about.
Shanks and then Zoro keep hearing him speak fondly of a little duckling and are severely confused cause they have never seen Mihawk with a child.
When they find out Zoro almost has an aneurysm.
This is the sort of cute thing I need rn, thank you. I love that Mihawk calls Sanji 'duckling' that's fucking adorable. I love all of this. Zeff 'he's not my brat but he also is' is way too true. This is really long.
Yeah, teenage Mihawk, down on his luck, hasn't eaten in a while, has gotten his ass handed to him his attempts at thieving and robbery have gone awry and he doesn't know why his skill is stalling the way it is. And then he sees a rather weak crew by his estimations. A crew he could rob or steal from. When he boards in an attempt for it he's kicked in the temple and then there's a heavy boot on his chest pinning him.
"Hell do you want?" The gruff captain asks.
"Your food." The teenager growls. The captain frowns, the teen is way too skinny. Cheeks gaunt and hollow and bones sticking out in other places.
"If you're hungry that's all you had to say, idiot." Zeff nods to some of his crew and the sword is taken from Mihawk. Not long after a plate and silverware are given to the dark haired boy. "Take it slow, you'll make yourself sick otherwise." The captain says and Mihawk glares and starts eating.
It's so fucking good.
He starts shoveling the food despite the captain yelling at him and then holds the plate out for more. The captain complies as the men murmur around him. The captain brings it back and it's half as full as the first which makes the teen frown.
"You'll get sick. You're lucky you found us, I'm Zeff, captain of the Cook Pirates." The blond man introduces himself and Mihawk is rattling his brain until Red Leg pops in and damn. He really could have caved Mihawk's skull in if he wanted. Mihawk is staring at his plate, as a rough hand grips his shoulder. He's been cross legged on the deck for a while, rather defenseless without his sword and he's weak from the lack of food.
"No one goes hungry aboard this ship. And if you won't stay and get checked by my doctor and eat 'til your healthy I'll toss you into the brig and see it happens anyhow." Zeff tells the boy before leaving to go talk to his crew. Mihawk grips his plate and cutlery a little tighter at that. He does agree when he's checked in on, if it means he can have his sword back faster.
Over the coming weeks Mihawk is given plenty of food and a spare hammock. Zeff has him help with chores and gives him snacks. Zeff watches some of his crew try to spar with the kid who still doesn't have his sword. He really needs to build other fighting skills, hand to hand, leg, what have you. And the do train him, kid's strong and committed. The captain will give him that. Then Zeff finds him on deck one night, knees to his chest and arms holding them tight.
Zeff goes and stands by him, looking over the dark ocean with a hand on Mihawk's head. Mihawk doesn't remember the last time someone cared this much about him, the dojos cold, he doesn't remember his parents, and the fucking marines always slaughtering in cold blood.
"What's your dream, kid?" Zeff asks.
"I want to be the greatest swordsman." Mihawk answers softly. Zeff nods.
"Come back if this happens again." Zeff orders and then pats his head before retiring to his quarters. Mihawk is gone by dawn in their life raft. When the crew ask Zeff he just waves them off. It'll be fine, that boy is headed to wonderous places.
Mihawk never forgets Red Leg's kindness, the care and reassurance. Even as he keeps getting stronger, meeting Shanks and sparring and it's fun. It's good, they're both getting stronger over the years. Then he gets his title and suddenly it's not as fun.
Shanks is drunk more often than not, no one else is providing a challenge. Zeff's in the East Blue and nothing ever happens there. Granted he hasn't seen the man since was about sixteen and he's now approaching his thirties. Then by the time he's thirty-one, nothing is fun or new or wonderful. Just dull and monotonous.
Then he reads the cook pirates are dead. A year later he sees Zeff in the paper with a strange shaped restaurant behind him and what appears to be a child. He sails after memorizing the name Baratie and it's easy to find once he reaches the East Blue. He docks his little coffin ship and there's a buzz about of a Warlord of the Sea being at the fish shaped eatery. Zeff comes out, asking why all business is halted when food needs run and he sees Hawkeye Mihawk, Warlord of Seas, standing at the host stand. Mihawk sees the man, notes the peg leg.
"You're alive." Zeff crosses his arms at the swordsman.
"As are you, I guess Red Leg is a much more fitting moniker these days." Mihawk replies. "I saw the papers."
Zeff just nods, "Follow me, no one goes hungry." And Mihawk does, led through the kitchen doors as Zeff gets his waiters to run food. "If you would be so kind, the Eggplant needs some socialization."
"Do you want to owe a warlord?" Mihawk asks.
"Consider us even from when you were a shitty teen." Zeff waves off. Mihawk does give a slight nod at that. He's led to the top outer deck where the child from the paper is sat staring at the sea. The boy looks and there's fear in his haki. "Sanji, Mihawk. Mihawk, Sanji. I'll be back in a bit." Then he leaves them there. Mihawk blinks at the boy trying to figure out how to approach this. Sanji has a book in his lap, he's in chef whites.
"Why does Red Leg call you 'eggplant'?" Mihawk starts. Sanji just shrugs and Mihawk is dreading that this is making him and Zeff even. He goes and sits next to the child. "What are you reading?" He tries again. Sanji shows him the cover of Noland the Liar. Mihawk nods and looks out to ocean. "I think 'duckling' is a more fitting nickname, Zeff's always been horrible at them."
"'Duckling'?" Sanji asks quietly, confused, there's a Northern accent to his voice as well.
"Yes, you look like a duckling with it's down still on it." Mihawk explains as he gestures at Sanji's head. He finds himself forcing these actions to ease the child. Sanji's face runs through several emotions. The visible blue eye is striking, and the boy almost looks like he could be Zeff's. "Do you already have one that's better than either of those?" Mihawk asks and Sanji shakes his head.
"Well little duckling, what's your dream?" Mihawk questions and the pure wonder that fills the boy's eye and soul is something Mihawk hasn't seen or felt in years.
"Have you heard about the All Blue?" Sanji asks him and Mihawk shakes his head in answer. The way the boy tells him about it and what it's supposed to be is gloriously new. Mihawk smiles and asks further questions to keep the boy preoccupied until Zeff brings food up to them. Mihawk waves him off easily and Zeff eyes them suspiciously but does go back.
Mihawk finds him after dinner service, plates in one hand and his other is holding Sanji to him.
"That's mine, found him fair and square." Zeff tells him.
"Do I get to hear the story?" Mihawk asks and Zeff side eyes him as he takes the plates and starts washing them.
"You won't like it." Zeff warns.
"There's not much I do." Mihawk states, the boy is too light in his hold, and so Zeff tells him. Mihawk does frown a bit at the story. He hears Sanji's age and it reminds him too much of himself, too many strangers, uncaring and cold. "I'll put the duckling to bed." Mihawk tells Zeff when the story is done, ignoring his smirk. They're even, that's what matters. Mihawk puts the boy to bed and Zeff is guiding him to a spare room, the door slamming after Mihawk is shoved in. In the morning Mihawk is eating with Zeff and Sanji at a table, pancakes and eggs piled high for all but Sanji who is picking at his meager plate.
"You'll come back, right?" Sanji asks him as Mihawk is preparing to sail.
"In a few months." Mihawk says easily. Sanji nods before running back to prepare for the day. Mihawk looks back as he sails away, finally having something worth enjoying again. When he does the duckling asks him if he found it yet and Mihawk chuckles at the boy. This goes on for a few visits, always visiting with the little duckling, until one time Sanji is pouting.
"White Beard's coming, and he's bringing Marco." The boy explains.
"Why does that bother you?" Mihawk asks.
"I don't like doctors, and White Beard is the geezer's husband." His little duckling answers and Mihawk lets it sit for a moment.
"Because they spend time together?" Mihawk guesses.
"No, if service runs late the geezer will send me out to keep him from pouting too long." Sanji looks at the ringed yellow eyes. "It's annoying, he doesn't..."
"If you're safe, that's all that matters." Mihawk agrees and Sanji looks confused at that but Mihawk just pats his head and tells him stories until the duckling falls asleep and Mihawk puts him to bed. He says goodbye in the morning and Sanji calls him 'Uncle Mihawk' as he yells his goodbye from the upper balcony. Mihawk waves as he sails off back to the Grand Line, his chest is warm and he feels light.
When he reaches the Moby Dick, Marco is waving at him and smiling wide. White Beard welcomes him easily as Mihawk frowns at him making everyone start getting confused.
"If I find out you hurt my duckling at all, there will be hell, and more if you do anything to their guardian." Mihawk warns.
"Duckling?" Thatch asks and Marco is shrugging as the swordman leaves. Mihawk goes and visits with Shanks for the first time in a while. Years, actually.
Shanks sees his friend happy for the first time in ages, since they were in their twenties. Says to him and he starts hearing about a duckling. The Redhair Pirates are confused, they can't tell if this duckling is an animal or a child. It's never quite clarified over the years.
Sanji runs to Mihawk every time he visits, shouting 'Uncle Mihawk!' as he runs. Mihawk always catches him, answers Sanji asking if he found the All Blue yet to Mihawk's chuckled no every time. Eventually Mihawk is helping Sanji on supply runs and finds out his duckling has no land legs. He does his best to not laugh at the teen who is getting vertigo and laying on the ground after not getting his balance. It gets better before Mihawk slices a green haired idiot on the Baratie's deck and leaves.
Zeff lets him know Sanji is sailing with Luffy, the kid who has Shanks's old hat. Mihawk gives Shanks the bounty of the boy he lost an arm for.
"My duckling is sailing with him as well." Mihawk laughs lightly. They drink and make merry and after Mihawk is gone the stakes the Redhair pirates have are raised monumentally whether it's a human, animal, or a mink.
Mihawk keeps an eye on the paper, talks with Zeff about how awful the drawing for Sanji is. Then Moria's first mate on his island, then Roronoa who he hasn't seen since Baratie. He rubs his face and goes to Marineford. He sees Sanji's captain with all the Impel Down escapees and the White Beard fleet is there and Mihawk's not going to piss off Zeff and Sanji, they're his two favorite people. So he turns on the marines and starts helping. He doesn't answer any questions after the idiots make it out alive. When he makes it back to Kuriagana the trespassers ask and Mihawk says a bit about the duckling and Zeff and they stare at him as he leaves them be. Says a few more stories over the years as he trains Zoro. Perona and Zoro often drink and try to guess who the fuck Mihawk's duckling is.
They do not figure it out but Zoro lays all his frustration out to Sanji about it who is trying so hard to not laugh he just walks away. The whole Sunny hears about it and now everyone is trying to figure it out except Luffy and Sanji. It is entertaining for them though. Canon is happening, Sanji stares off into the ocean after WCI and Wano and when Jimbe asks Luffy laughs and says he'll see soon. It is not comforting to the crew. Especially when they're teaming up with Guild and Redhair Pirates and White Beard, Marco, Ace and Zeff are there too to take down Blackbeard. Luffy is laughing at how dead Sanji looks at all the others in front of the Strawhats. Everyone watches Zeff and White Beard launch into Sanji who is arguing back and Crocodile is now realizing Mr. Prince is in front of him and Buggy is laughing at him while Mihawk is also looking unimpressed at both Sanji and Zoro.
Over the next few days everyone sees how casual Mihawk is with Sanji and Zeff. Mihawk will shoot glares at Crocodile any time he so much as hints he wants to kill the cook. Nami and Zoro feel like they're about to lose it, as is White Beard while Marco is looking between the younger blond and the swordsman.
"Wait, is Sanji 'Duckling'?" Marco asks Mihawk interrupting everyone and making silence fall. "Is that why you threatened us?"
"You threatened my husband?" Zeff demands.
"I don't know why you're surprised I did and I thought the name was far more fitting than 'eggplant' of all fucking things." Mihawk says to each of them.
"Pay up, shitheads!" Lucky Roo cheers as most of the Redhair throw beri at him and mumble.
"Wait, so White Beard is your adopted step dad and Mihawk is family in some way and Germa is still around?" Nami yells at Sanji who is shrugging and gesturing at the adults who were there for him growing up while Luffy laughs and Robin coos the name at the cook. It's what Robin calls him almost exclusively after this.
AU Concept where the Winter War was a thousand times worse.
At the end of it all, Ichigo rips the Hogyoku out of Aizen's chest and uses the power to send himself back in time. As soon as he arrives in the past (the past, back when Kisuke was still a captain and the Visored weren't Visored and none of all that tragedy had happened yet), Ichigo kills Aizen. He doesn't beat around the bush, doesn't wait for the perfect moment, doesn't try to be sneaky.
After all, why would he? Ichigo is powerful enough to attack straight-out, the tragedy he is trying to prevent is so immense that it truly feels too risky to wait, and he's broken enough that he doesn't care what will happen to him -- an apparent Ryoka -- after killing a Gotei 13 vice-captain for seemingly no reason.
What happens to him is this:
Ichigo is found, kneeling beside Aizen's cooling corpse. Ichigo has Aizen's blood spattered up to his elbows -- it wasn't a clean kill, nor a quick one.
Ichigo lets himself be taken into Gotei 13 custody. (Again, he no longer cares what happens to himself.) He is spared execution for two reasons. First, they need to know who he is and how he did it. It is a scary thing, for a Ryoka to be powerful enough to murder a vice-captain. Second, the Shiba Clan has used their influence to petition for clemency, at least for a time. It is obvious that Ichigo must be a Shiba, and Kaien is desperate to find out where Ichigo came from, who his parents are, and how one of his own family managed to fall through the cracks like this. (Kaien sees it a bit as a personal failure -- what happened, that someone who is clearly his cousin went unclaimed for so long, and became so lost as to murder a vice-captain?)
Cue a series of interrogations (there's no actual torture, it's just verbal questioning, thanks again to that Shiba protection) where Captain Urahara tries to figure out who, exactly, this powerful Ryoka is.
Ichigo -- who is broken in so many ways -- sees how much happier this younger version of Kisuke is, and decides not to reveal anything. Ichigo isn't exactly thinking straight at this point, and he sees no future for himself. So, naturally, he decides that it's best not to spread the suffering around, that it's best to keep the horrors and burdens to himself, and so he keeps his mouth shut about all the important things.
Meanwhile, in the background, Aizen's web of illusions are starting to unravel. Slowly, members of the Gotei 13 wake up. Shinigami begin to realize how far the morals of their institutions have fallen. People realize how much weaker the Court Guard has gotten over the years.
And then people start remembering specific moments where Aizen ensnared them, or made them forget something, or influenced them to take an action they never, not in a million years, would have voluntarily done.
They realize that the Ryoka murderer saved them from an incredible catastrophe.
Ichigo's sentence is mostly lifted, but thanks to Central 46 influence, he's still in a parole-type situation. (Kaien could only do so much. Even with proof that Ichigo had saved them, the Central 46 is still uneasy that Ichigo was able to kill Aizen.)
Ichigo's interrogations continue. It's just that instead of questioning Ichigo in a cold cell in order to find answers in order to protect the Court Guard, Urahara starts subtly prying for answers over, for example, a cup of tea in the Shiba family gardens -- so that he can better understand Ichigo's situation and more effectively help the idiot. Because it's clear Ichigo has saved them all, but it's also clear that Ichigo only knew they needed saving because Aizen had, at some point, broken him.
When enough of Aizen's illusions have unraveled, Operation Help-Ichigo becomes a group effort among the Captains and the Shiba family. (Of course, Kisuke was the first person on the operation, and he's not giving up his lead role, not even now, when everyone else has finally gotten on the same page.)
Cue the bonding with Ichigo. Kaien, Shinji, Kyoraku, everyone, they're all trying to help him.
Ichigo, of course, thinks this is all part of the interrogation routine. He thinks they're trying to manipulate him into opening up, and then once he talks, they'll throw him into a cell to rot for the rest of eternity. It takes a while for people to notice this miscommunication, and even longer for Ichigo to believe them when they try to rectify it.
Thanks that happen at some point:
Someone realizes that Ichigo is actually really, really young. This revelation has all the expected consequences.
Kaien holds it together in the moment, when he realizes that Ichigo thinks his attempts to bring him into the family are just a prolonged interrogation method. But once he's alone with Miyako, he cries his heart out.
Kisuke uses a specific onmitsukido technique to trick information out of Ichigo, but Ichigo knows Kisuke too well to fall for it. Even if Ichigo can't tell exactly what Kisuke is doing, he can recognize Kisuke's "I'm up to something" body-language.
Shinji and the other Visord start noticing a strange connection with Ichigo. (Pack is permanent. Turns out, that holds true both forwards and backwards temporally...)
Ichigo, in his state of emotional numbness, frequently says or does things that betray a high-level of familiarity with people he has no reason to be extremely familiar with. It's through this sort of slip-up that the time travel is eventually discovered.
White beard holding a candle for Zeff is so funny but also so cute cause can you imagine him seeing Zeff in a newspaper article and booking it to the east-blue as fast as he can.
He shows up sees Sanji and immediately starts imagining him and Zeff raising him together in the Grand line. Maybe he gets rejected because Zeff "doesn't want to be a liability" with his missing leg , but still every year sometimes twice a year White Beard takes a small skeleton crew to the east blue to visit the Baratie for a couple weeks( one time he tried to stay 2 months and his crew had to come fetch him)
Can you imagine him sitting with Sanji, Zeff asleep on his shoulder, telling him about adventures and weird fish he found in the Grand line. Bringing them spices and exotic cookbooks from his travels.
Also Zeff is protective but he's not the tipe to mind when people fall in love with Sanji , White Beard on the other hand is threatening to chop hands and gauge eyes out.
Marco sees Sanji for the first time in the Grand line when he's 19 and White Beard is immediately "Absolutely not".
I can just picture him getting wind of Crocodile being into Sanji and just going "time to kill a warlord I guess"
Also the implications of the famous and feared captain of the White Beard pirates showing up out of nowhere are hilarious, he shows up and all of east blue is in a panic, turns out he just spends his time fishing and waiting around the restaurant like a puppy for Zeff to give him attention.
I love old man yaoi just as much as problematic age gap yaoi. So I'm here for Zeff getting a big strong man that isn't a marine. Men who are canonically like at least taller than him are all the better. Sanji would also call White Beard some variation of geezer like he does Zeff. White Beard calls Zeff his husband and is absolutely carrying his blonds to bed. Fight me.
White Beard looking over a paper as his kids and commanders are all talking or whatever and he sees Zeff in a paper. Having a restaurant and a child with him in the East Blue after Newgate was so sure his love died. "I'm going to the East Blue." He announces and gets a small crew together within a day as everyone is confused but listening. His crew arrives at Baratie and Zeff is confused as all hell and comes out and is hoisted by his long time lover he hasn't seen since the storm, maybe he forgot to call and say something after the rescue. But an emperor is at his door, and he's being held to larger man who is giving his thanks to the seas and the gods and the egg plant looks properly terrified of the newcomer. Zeff introduces them and Newgate is besotted by the new addition and is avidly listening to the love of his life tell him everything that happened and about Sanji. Zeff's son and now also Newgate's in a way. Not like his brats, Zeff would never allow him to raise Sanji up like that, but a well loved stepson. Because he tried, by gods did he try to convince Zeff to come to fleet with Sanji.
Zeff immediately disregarded the notion. He's missing a leg, the Eggplant is skittish of most men. All men, really, he even hides from Zeff when the chef gets too loud or pissed off, Newgate eventually finds. But either way they're staying in the East, they ain't fit for the Grand Line according to Zeff. So Newgate and Zeff are staring at each other.
"I would never think of you as a burden." Newgate tells him sincerely.
"I ain't going back, dear." Zeff pans at him and they stay there, White Beard holding Zeff.
"I've been meaning to take time away." Newgate grins eventually and Zeff is blustering back and forth about their respective responsibilities. This man is escaping to the East Blue any chance he gets. The love of his life is alive and now he has a boy!
Newgate's crew is taking pictures for posterity's sake and so the crew believe them. Sanji will hide from them though. And Zeff when the man gets too loud or angry. White Beard will walk over and pick up Zeff's son and carry him away after a few choice words to whatever table is belittling the boy when Sanji is waiting. Patty and Carne watch the three of them like it's a family sitcom night every time it happens. Especially after a few visits from the emperor and Zeff's tired of transferring from Baratie to whatever boat he brings and now Zeff's bed is big enough for White Beard. It's the best bed on Baratie and White Beard absolutely spoils his love, Sanji, and any long term staff that endear themselves to him.
I feel the older boy's only hear of Sanji under the name Eggplant, Izou had to come collect his captain after being wayward for too long. He shows up, finds Pops drinking and fishing on the deck of a fish shaped restaurant with a sparse few. It seems to be closed for the day from the way a kid is actually sleeping on the Old Man. Said Old Man looks upset Izou is there for him.
"So this is Eggplant?" Izou tuts at his captain before catching the swirly brow and giving a more disdainful look than before.
"He's Zeff's boy and therefore my stepson. What're you doing here?" He asks his commander.
"You've been gone for two months!" Izou hisses at him.
"Sh, he's asleep." White beard hisses back but the boy doesn't wake when all eyes land on him. "Stay for dinner, we'll leave at dawn." The man grumbles. Izou rubs his temples and sees Zeff for the first time in decades and is looking between him and his captain before turning very green and walking away from them. Dinner is really fucking good though and when they leave White Beard does seem a bit sad to leave. Talks of him retiring are very, very common after that.
As Sanji grows up Zeff certainly doesn't mind the attention the boy gets, more seems annoyed at Sanji not taking it. Newgate laughs at his husband's frustrations as the kid grows. He's a handsome teen, but everyone seemingly knows if anyone flirts with Sanji they'll be answering to an Emperor of the New World. Even after Sanji sets off with Garp's grandson. Newgate is rubbing his temples and grumbling to himself and his commanders are taking a step away from him after everything with Teach and Thatch and Ace. Then Ace comes back after some time, with a photo of his little brother and his crew. Marco is biting his lip at the cook from the way Ace is talking and Newgate looks, hears about Sir Crocodile hitting on his stepson.
And he already took the guy's hand when he was rookie? No one tell his husband he's going to kill a warlord and he'll be back. Promise, promise!
"But he's so hot, right?" Ace asks Marco.
"God, I feel like a dirty old man for what I'd do to him." Marco agrees easily as they look at the photo with the cook. Sir Crocodile is in Impel Down when the Emperor makes it to Alabasta and Vivi and Cobra are staring at him, with a lot of confusion.
"Sanji's my stepson, I heard what that filthy warlord was saying about him." The Emperor explains.
"Oh gods, that's terrifying. I wish his future partner luck." Cobra starts laughing as he speaks and Vivi wonders what else the cook was hiding. On his way back he hears about Ace disappearing after he took off to continue his hunt. Newgate calls Zeff, who is yelling at him, saying the eggplant can take care of himself. When he gets back to the fleet he hears Marco saying he wants to meet the cook and when Newgate sees who it is he pats his Marco's shoulder.
"Absolutely not." He tells Marco with a look that makes Marco skin crawl in fear for once. Izou loses it when he sees the photo and Marco tells him, Izou does not explain. Just fucking loses it. Then at Ace's execution White Beard does not kill Crocodile, no matter how much he wants to, because he's helping get Ace and Luffy to safety. Then, because I need him to leave and be Sanji's beloved stepdad who is adored, Kureha assaults him basically to start getting better treatment for his cancer which does go in to remission before the crew gets back together. He fields plenty of calls from Zeff about the cancer and Sanji, Ace and Marco watch in horror that a chef in the East Blue is managing to control an Emperor of the Seas every time they step in to chat with the man.
I'd like to think at the Send Off from Sabaody, before Luffy comes back and causes mayhem, everyone is watching fucking White Beard talk to Sanji in a fatherly manner, hands on his hips. Rayleigh is also very confused with Ace and Shakky as they watch him chastising the cook for all the calls he dealt with over the last couple of years.
"I'm fine, Old Man! See! Still all here!" Sanji yells at him.
"Need I remind you how you came into my life with my husband after I thought he died?" White Beard reminds sternly.
"He's married?" Rayleigh asks.
"I don't think officially given his supposed husband is Red Leg." Ace tells him and Rayleigh seems to be getting upset.
"YOU MARRIED RED LEG?" The former Vice Captain yells, some what in anger.
"Some one had to. Certainly wasn't going to be you or Roger." Newgate pans. "I'm retiring up there any how, Marco's a good captain and it's hightime I have a proper honey moon."
"I'm so glad I'm outta there." Sanji grumbles as he goes to his Galley. Everyone waving White Beard off later as the ruckus on Sabaody starts.
"his chest is the bed" adorable, amazing, revolutionary
I think Sanji wold really enjoy affection (it reminds him of the happy times with his mom) and White Beard wold be so happy to give it to him because all his boys are grown and can't be roped into cuddles anymore. Just him riding around with Sanji on his shoulders. Smiling and watching Sanji cuddle next to Zeff on his chest.
At first Carne and Patty are surprised Sanji took to Newgate so fast , but you can only watch a guy give your father eskimo kisses so many times before the fear evaporates from your body.
"I've seen him pout everytime dinner service runs late, I am definitely not scared"
Yeah, you're right, on all accounts here anon. This is all canon in this au.
White Beard and his step son Sanji who is so much younger and willing to cuddle and sleep is one of the Emperor's greatest treasures. Sure Marco will ride on his shoulder, but half the time it's zoan brain of his. But Sanji?
Sanji loves when the Old Man visits, he's not as gruff and rough spoken as the geezer or the staff. He runs outside when he sees the jolly roger and will just bolt to the emperor's preferred dock. White Beard easily scoops the boy up. Sanji easily leans into massive hands of the geezer's husband. Newgate can often be found with Sanji asleep on his chest at the end of most nights before Zeff finds him. The chef always looks at them, exasperatedly at the two of them before Newgate picks his husband up to join the boy on his chest. They always get the best sleep when Newgate is there.
Even when Sanji is a teenager and decides to spend less time with the old men, Newgate pouts and Sanji always gives in to the emperor. He's heard the man whine every time Zeff is late getting off and Sanji is usually sent ahead to go placate the man. When Sanji was little and this would happen Newgate would see how akward and shy the boy was and then just start telling stories to kid. Now that Sanji's older they're giving each other shit and playfully arguing until Sanji is cajoled into Newgate's hand to sleep.
Patty and Carne talking about it before Luffy destroys the place, mentioning how unfair it was for Sanji to warm up to the famous White Beard of all people. Sanji is just staring at them as he smokes. Like no shit he warmed to the geezer's husband so fast, have they fucking met the guy? The guy who pouts every time service runs late so Zeff is late. The man who comes to get jerky and pickles and jams for himself and his crew and whines over the denden about treatment to Zeff and acts like a spoiled brat? Are they talking about the same Emperor of the Seas?
Patty and Carne promptly shut up after that, unless they're whining about how long it took Sanji to warm up to them. Then it's constant.
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