"Got it." That's you asking to die.
Oden stood before the mirror, smoothing his hair with his hands and applying some medicine. Then he suddenly turned around.
"Reed, about Mom… does Rouge know about the Captain's situation?"
The sea breeze stopped.
The blood mist at Reed's fingertips trembled slightly. "Yes. She knows. Roger is the Pirate King." He looked into the distance. "She knew from the very beginning. Being confined to the country drove her a little crazy."
Oden fell silent for a moment, then suddenly slapped Reed hard on the shoulder. "Hahahaha! Then we have to drink properly! I brought twenty jars of strong liquor!"
"Are you here to visit or to compete in a drinking contest, you bastard!"
A sudden splash came from the stern.
They both turned around to see Hizumi half hanging over the railing, desperately trying to retrieve her wooden sword as it drifted away.
Naturally, this was impossible. The Bruma Jackson was a massive ship, and the two children had no way of hauling it back up.
So Hizumi ended up tied with a rope, while Hiyori clung tightly to the other end. Thanks to their training together since childhood, she managed to hold on. Hiyori's face turned bright red.
"She's too heavy! Hurry up!"
"Just a little more, just a little more, my sword!"
Reed's blood mist instantly formed a long arm. It gently caught the wooden sword and, at the same time, lifted Hizumi back onto the deck.
The mist then split into two small hands that began relentlessly poking the girls on the head.
Blood mist hands: poke poke poke. I am a merciless poking hand.
The two girls crouched down from the poking, clutching their heads.
"We were wrong, we were wrong, Uncle!"
They repeated it twice.
"Say it properly."
"We shouldn't have tried to get the sword by ourselves."
She spoke while looking up at Reed with tearful, pleading eyes, clearly trying to get by with cuteness.
"That's only half right." Reed grinned, but the poking hands did not stop.
"Your real mistake was failing to properly assess your own limits. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Uncle."
"Too quiet!"
"Yes, Uncle!"
Only then did Reed hand the sword back to Hizumi. "Alright, little one. Tell Uncle what you want."
Hizumi took the sword, her eyes lighting up instantly. "Uncle Reed! I want to learn that move right now!"
"No." Reed flicked her forehead. "Come back after you defeat Perona."
Hiyori covered her mouth and laughed softly. "Big sister was defeated by Perona's Negative Hollow yesterday."
"Hiyori!"
Amid the sound of the waves, Oden watched the children playing and suddenly spoke quietly.
"Reed, thank you."
"Hm?"
In the East Blue, at Twin Moon Village,
Roger could no longer wait to see Reed and the others sail in at their own pace. He longed to see Rouge and the children.
He grinned and waved at Reed. "Kid, I'm heading out first!"
With that, he stomped his foot and shot into the sky like a cannonball, vanishing into the clouds in the blink of an eye.
Reed watched his retreating figure and shook his head helplessly. "That old bastard is still as impatient as ever."
Oden scratched his head. "So what do we do?"
Reed sighed. "What else can we do? Speed up? Or just keep going like this."
Rouge was hanging laundry in the yard. The sea breeze was gentle, the sunlight warm. She hummed softly, in a good mood.
Ace and the others could no longer be called "the four little ones," because there were even smaller children now.
Suddenly, someone knocked lightly on the door.
"Coming, please wait a moment."
She wiped her hands and walked over.
The moment she opened the door, Rouge froze.
Standing outside was an unfamiliar elderly former marine, wearing a straw hat, his face etched with the marks of wind and time. But his eyes, those eyes she could never forget, were looking at her with unmistakable gentleness.
"You…" Rouge's voice trembled.
Roger removed his straw hat and grinned, revealing that familiar, radiant smile.
"Rouge, I'm back."
Rouge's pupils shrank.
Time seemed to stop at that instant. Even with Reed's blood mist disguise, how could a wife fail to recognize her husband?
Roger looked at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised tenderness and regret.
"I'm sorry. I'm back."
Rouge's tears burst free.
She did not scream. She did not question him. She did not hesitate for even a second.
She threw herself into Roger's arms.
Roger held her tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice hoarse.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long…"
Rouge's fists beat against his back, but with barely any strength.
"You bastard… you absolute bastard…"
This should have been a peaceful, touching reunion.
But everything has a "however."
"Pervert, die!"
Ace and Sabo's wooden swords, along with Anne's greatsword, came crashing down toward Roger's head.
The story needs to rewind a few minutes.
The doorbell rang. Rouge went to answer it. Ace, Sabo, and Anne were practicing swordsmanship. Kuina and Goro had gone out shopping. They waited and waited, but Rouge still had not returned.
"Why isn't Mom back yet?" Ace wiped his sweat and frowned.
Sabo put away his wooden sword. "Let's go check."
Anne silently followed.
The three children passed through the corridor and reached the front yard. From a distance, they saw Rouge standing at the doorway, a strange man holding her hands and pressing them to his own face. Tears streamed down Rouge's cheeks.
The three kids' minds exploded.
No one was allowed to bully Mom. Or godmother, since Rouge had adopted Sabo as her godson.
"You bastard!!!"
Ace roared, grabbing his wooden sword and charging forward. Sabo and Anne followed close behind. The three of them shot toward Roger like cannonballs.
"Let go of Mom! Godmother!"
Roger was startled and had no time to react before Ace's wooden sword came crashing down toward his head.
Bang!
Roger instinctively raised his arm to block. The wooden sword struck his arm and snapped in half.
"Hey, hey, kids…" Roger forced a wry smile and tried to explain, but Sabo's fist slammed hard into his abdomen.
Thud!
Roger grunted. He did not dare use Armament Haki and could only take the blow head on. Before he could steady himself, Anne's greatsword swept toward him with a whistling roar.
"Wait, wait! I…"
"Die!!!" Ace roared. A faint layer of Armament Haki wrapped around his fist as it flew straight for Roger's face.
Roger's pupils shrank. "Armament Haki?!"
He had no choice but to get serious. He sidestepped, chopped down on Ace's wrist to disarm him, lifted his leg to block Sabo's kick, and pressed down on Anne's greatsword with his free hand. Helplessly, he said, "At least listen to me first…"
"Listen to you, my ass!" Ace did not give him a chance to speak. Fists and kicks rained down like a storm.
Sabo's attacks were sharp and precise, aimed at Roger's joints and weak points. Anne's greatsword was restrained, but her small face was tense, her eyes fierce, like a cub protecting its mother.
Rouge stared in shock, then finally snapped out of it.
"Ace! Sabo! Anne! Stop! He…"
"It doesn't matter who he is! Anyone who bullies Mom gets beaten!!!"
The three shouted in unison.
Roger laughed loudly even as he defended himself.
"Hahahaha! Not bad at all! Reed taught you well!"
"Shut up!" Ace gritted his teeth. "If I don't beat you flat today, I'm not Portgas D. Ace!"