The More You Think About It, the More Terrifying It Becomes

"What should I know?"

Rouge pressed her lips together as she asked. She really did have many questions.

Since things had come to this, she might as well die understanding, together with her child.

Unfortunately, she might never get the chance to know whether her child was a boy or a girl.

"The World Government was founded by the 20 Kings, and Jaygarcia was one of them. Roger deliberately turned himself in, not because he truly wanted to atone for his life as a pirate, but because he wanted to use the public execution to kick off this feast for pirates."

"I'm sure you've heard about the consequences of that feast, ma'am. Quite a few people on this island died because of those pirates, didn't they?" Ross replied with a smile.

Different people required different approaches. Rouge had not been persecuted by the World Government; she was an ordinary Commoner who had lived a normal life, so normal conversation was enough.

People's emotions often could not be shared, and some might even think those who had been oppressed were being overly sensitive.

Besides, Rouge was in fairly good condition, so he could spare some time to talk with her.

Only if Rouge had a strong desire to live could Stella's Healing Fruit work more effectively.

Stella was standing by outside the door, so he was not worried that anything would happen to Rouge.

The Healing Fruit had a bug-like ability: by sacrificing one's own lifespan, it could even pull someone back from the brink of death.

Given Rouge's current condition, that ability would be necessary to save her life.

Fortunately, the lifespan lost from using it once would not be too excessive. The World Government possessed quite a few treasures that could slightly increase vitality, so it could still be replenished.

In the future, once Gion obtained that fruit, if she could transfer lifespan to others after awakening it, they could achieve perpetual motion.

Stella could heal illnesses and injuries, while Gion could transfer life force. Combined, the two were practically immortality.

"I've heard some things. Many people died because of pirates, and quite a few were implicated by that manhunt as well."

Rouge processed Ross's words, and the way she looked at him changed.

The 20 Kings of the World Government—although she had always lived in South Blue, she had still heard of them.

Ross... wasn't he a Celestial Dragon?

So Celestial Dragons were all like Ross...

Even someone like her, someone who deserved to die, was worth patiently explaining the whole story to.

Perhaps the World Government was not so bad after all?

Rouge had never experienced a better life. The World Government had ruled the world for eight hundred years, and life had gone on like this for so long. It did not seem all that terrible.

Pirates had occasionally appeared before, but they basically never came to Baterilla Island, and her life had been relatively peaceful.

Yet after Roger ushered in the Great Pirate Era, the entire sea had boiled over. All kinds of chaos emerged, bringing disaster to Baterilla Island instead.

As for the World Government's manhunt, Rouge herself believed she was guilty. If not for protecting her child, she would have been too ashamed to go on living long ago.

After all, countless people had been implicated because of her during that turmoil. Those people had not deserved to die.

"Regarding that manhunt, don't you think there was something wrong with it, ma'am?" Ross asked softly, his gaze fixed on Rouge's face as he observed her expression.

"What do you mean?"

Confusion appeared on Rouge's face. She truly did not know what could have been wrong.

"You were never meant to know about this." Ross sighed softly, a trace of pity on his face. "But the World Government has now handed this matter over to me. I do not want innocent people to be implicated, nor do I want evil people to die smiling."

"That is only right."

Rouge nodded instinctively, her hands clenched tightly.

She did not know what Ross meant, but his expression filled her with unease.

Even an ordinary person could tell that Ross was referring to her situation.

"I want to ask you something. Before Roger was executed, how many people did you believe knew that you were carrying Roger's child?"

As Ross spoke, he made a gesture with the hand behind his back.

Stella, who had been waiting by the door, immediately understood. She entered the room and closed the door behind her, then stood beside the bed like a maid, ready to treat Rouge at any moment.

Rouge could not withstand any stimulation right now. Ross needed to ensure nothing went wrong.

"People who knew..."

Hearing Ross finally lay everything out, Rouge instead relaxed further.

As long as the matter had not been made public, it would always leave people anxious.

Now that it was out in the open, what was there besides death? She had been prepared for that long ago.

But Ross's question...

Rouge did not refuse to answer. She thought carefully for a moment before finally shaking her head.

"I have never left Batallia Island, and no one knew Roger's identity. I was the only one who knew who he was. As for your question, I can say with certainty that among the people I knew, no one knew the identity of the child in my belly."

Rouge was certain of that. The old man next door might have had suspicions, but he definitely could not count as someone who knew beforehand. Roger certainly had not known before he died.

"Then there is a new question."

Ross looked at Rouge with even greater pity, making her feel uncomfortable even as she lay there.

It was the first time she had encountered such a pitying gaze, and it felt strangely unsettling.

"What is it?"

Rouge asked instinctively. This feeling of being left hanging was truly unpleasant.

"Since there was no one around Madam who knew, through what channel did the World Government learn that Roger had a child?"

Ross's curious question struck like a bolt from the blue, leaving Rouge unable to recover for a long time.

That was right.

Since there had not even been anyone around her who knew, there should have been no possibility of a leak.

Logically, only she and Roger knew about it in the entire world.

Based on what had already happened, the World Government's hunt for Roger's bloodline had been confined to the South Blue.

So why did the World Government know about this?

Rouge suddenly raised her head and fixed her eyes tightly on Ross, her voice trembling slightly.

"My lord, please tell me the answer."

Ross was a Celestial Dragon. He definitely knew the full story, or he would not have been able to find her.

"Madam already has the answer in her heart, doesn't she?"

Ross asked in return, his gaze upon Rouge filled with pity.

The fathers in this world truly were not a single one of them worth a damn.

Roger had a screw loose too. Instead of entrusting his descendants to companions like Rayleigh, he had entrusted them to Garp.

If he had never brought this up, no one would have thought Roger had a child, and Rouge and the child in her womb could have lived normal lives.

No matter what the future held, it would have been better than this.

"Did Roger reveal it? Why would he do that...?"

Rouge wore a self-mocking smile.

That was right. Since there had only been two people who knew, and she had not leaked it, then the only one who could have done so was Roger.

Perhaps Roger had merely let it slip without thinking, but the fact that he had said, "Come and find my treasure," showed just how loose-lipped he was.

So this was why she had ended up like this—the massacre of infants and pregnant women in the South Blue by the Marines and the World Government had all originated with Roger himself.

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