Archive of Our Own ^beta

Rouge stood at the edge of the cliff, the sea before her calling to her with its endless mystery.

She remembered the first time she stood on the deck of a boat, full of excitement and curiosity, ready to take on the world. It still felt like it was just yesterday when she left her home island in search for something better. She wanted to see everything, every animal, every plant, every island. She was hungry for the unknown and uncharted.

She traveled from island to island, always with a smile, always ready for the new experiences and sights. She was alone but never lonely, arriving with the wind and meeting new people then leaving with many friends left behind, to see them again if the occasion appears. She loved her freedom and the endless expanse of the sea that allowed her to go anywhere.

The only thing she had to her name was her boat. A sturdy old thing, made with New World weirdness in mind, which could take her anywhere she wanted. It was her only possession that was always with her. Her home, where she slept, ate and lived. She didn't need anything else, content and happy with the way she lived and with what she had.

She spend decades travelling alone, never settling down for longer than few months, always ready for the next adventure, always ready to leave and happy for it. She didn’t think she would ever meet anyone else who craved to see the world in the same way she did.

But then she met Roger. Roger who always smiled, who was so selfish and selfless at the same time, who held the same hunger for the adventure as she did. 

Their first meeting was on a spring island, during  a festival full of colorful flowers and exquisite dishes. They met in a dance and spend the whole day together, talking and laughing as if they knew each other forever. It didn’t take long after for Roger to introduce her to his crew, just as crazy and fun as him. She loved them, loved how filled with joy and camaraderie they were. With two youngsters, Shanks and Buggy, who constantly argued but would go to hell for ech other and who liked to tell her fun, over exaggerated stories of their past adventures. Rayleigh, who always had a word of wisdom and a filthy joke up his sleeve. Grumpy, but full of kindness Crocus, with his weird little anecdotes. Scopper, who never minced his words, straightforward and honest. Nozdon, who was always ready to drink and do some impressive circus tricks. And Sunbell, who was sure to share some of the weirdest facts with you every time. She didn’t think she ever met a group of people who's company she enjoyed so much. She knew she would never forget the days spend with them.

Few weeks passed and the time to say goodbye to the colorful island came for all of them. On the last day, Roger took her to the highest hill on the entire island and they danced to the rhythm of their own music, laughing and talking. The two of them in their own world, just like the first day they meet. And when the night has finally came and they sat down on the edge of a flower field, Roger asked her earnestly if she would like to join his crew. But Rouge knew her own nature. And from what she could see in Roger’s eyes, he already knew it too.

She knew that the feelings she developed for Roger in such a short time could be called love. And she thought that Roger felt it too. But she was a free spirit and she didn’t want to be bound by anything. She traveled where she wanted and left if she so saw fit. The thought of staying still anywhere didn’t sit well with her.

So she smiled, took his hand in her own, left a kiss on his lips and said no. She thought the feeling in her chest was love. But she would be bound by nothing, not ever by her feelings for another.

And just like she expected of him, Roger didn’t try to convince her to change her mind. He just threw his head back and laughed. In such a short time they had together, he came to know her so well. He knew her thirst for freedom was just as big as his own and he respected and accepted it with grace.

“Then lets meet again sometime if the sea allows!” he said, still grinning and left a kiss on her lips in return.

Both of them left the next day. Neither regretting a single thing.

But as fate would have it, their ways and travels often collided with each other. Their next meeting was not even a year later. And the next few months after that. And again and again, so their relationship went, guided by the whims of the sea. Their meeting always being happy accidents, never planned and more joyous for it.

Every time they meet, they would dance and laugh and talk for hours to no end, cherishing each other’s company and little more time together they got blessed with. It was their own little thing, always starting their meetings with a dance. Rouge knew she loved Roger like she loved nobody before him. He was like her other half, understanding her like nobody else ever did. He never tried changing her, even though she knew that he sometimes wanted her to stay with him. But he never asked for it again, after that first time. He knew what her answer would be and his respect for her choices never went away. Rouge had her adventures and Roger had his and when they meet, they recounted every single one together.And so it went, with them coming together and leaving again, always with a little more of their hearts staying with the other. Rouge loved that, to have something that remained consistent but didn't bind her down.

It was one of those times, many, many years after their first meeting, that Roger met her with the grave news. He was dying. Terminal illness without any cure, he said. And then with a wide smile, he said that he didn’t mind. He told her of his plan to get captured and not die a slow death.  That he was prepared to go out with a bang. Rouge laughed at that, with some tears escaping her eyes. That was so like Roger, to never be afraid and facing the world with a grin and steadfast confidence, even in a situation like this.

She so badly wanted to change his mind, to stop him from being so foolish, to made him fight for his life and a cure.

But.

Roger always accepted her wishes before. He never tried to make her do something that would be against what she wanted.

So she would do the same for him, no matter how much it hurt her. She would support him to the very end, just like he did for her.

That day, they spend their night together, sleeping in each other’s arms, in an desperate embrace, full of love and longing. It was the last time they saw each other. Next time Rouge heard of Roger, it was through a special edition of the newspaper, crowing of Vice Admiral Garp managing to capture The King of The Pirates.

Soon, the execution day was there and Roger indeed went out with a bang, leaving the world scrambling after his grinning exit. It was a glorious thing to see. Rouge had a laugh at that (if a little bitter), about the joke Roger played on the entire world. He died the same way he always been, with a big grin and leaving a mess behind. If she closed her eyes, she could still hear his joyful, rumbling laughter, echoing through the world around her.

Rouge caressed her stomach, smiling softly. She was in constant danger and hated by entire world, alone with a child who’s existence was seen as a sin against the world. The man she loved like no other, who was her other half, was now gone. She could no longer travel as freely as she did in the past and the pregnancy making her life harder than ever. And yet.

She didn’t regret a single thing.

She loved to travel so she visited all the different islands and meet all kinds of people. She loved freedom, so she was bound to no one and nothing. She loved Roger so she supported him. And her child...

Ace would be born. He would live, be happy, strong and free. Just like his parents.

Yes, Rouge didn’t regret a thing.

She lived her entire life just how she wanted to.

She would die that way as well.