Ace

"We can discuss Garp separately. If he comes to Baterilla Island..."

Before Ross could finish, Zephyr cut in firmly:

"Rest assured. With me here, he won't be able to hurt any of you."

His strength fell slightly short of Garp's, but that did not mean he had no way to deal with him.

Both were masters of Physical Technique. If they truly fought to settle who was stronger, it would take days at the very least.

Besides, Garp had no reason to fight him. Over custody of Roger's child?

If word of that got out, the Navy would become a laughingstock.

If only Ross and the others were there, Garp might actually resort to violence.

As long as no one knew, word would never get out.

But even if Garp was stronger than him, he could not kill him easily. There would be more than enough time to get a message to someone else.

That alone would keep Garp from acting rashly.

Garp paid the World Government no heed, and the World Government overlooked it because of his fighting strength.

But if he truly dared cross the World Government's bottom line, even if dealing with him came at a considerable cost, death would be his only possible end.

"With your assurance, I can rest easy."

A smile lingered on Ross's lips. That was exactly the attitude he wanted from Zephyr.

"Saint Ross, may I take the liberty of asking how you intend to deal with the mother and child?"

Zephyr looked at Ross. His relationship with Ross was different from everyone else's.

They were technically superior and subordinate, but with his fighting strength, he could switch allegiance to another Celestial Dragon at any time, and the World Government would do nothing to him.

That gave him more freedom to speak than the others.

"Roger was willing to endanger his own child even before he died. From that moment on, this mother and child had nothing to do with him. Of course, if they wish to inherit what Roger left behind, I won't show them mercy," Ross replied calmly.

That was also what he had told Rouge.

Ace had considerable potential, but only if Ross could keep him under his control.

Even the finest weapon had to be one that would not hurt its master.

"That would be ideal. If needed, I can teach the child and guide him down the path of justice."

Zephyr's expression softened slightly. Precisely because his own family had been caught up in his affairs, he did not want anyone else's family to suffer the same fate.

Otherwise, how would he be any different from those vicious pirates?

But if their families also chose to do evil, he would never show them leniency.

"Once he's a little older, I'll leave his training to you."

Ross nodded with a smile, then beckoned to Zany and headed straight toward Rouge's house.

He had no patience for training Ace himself. At most, he would offer Ace some guidance on how to think. Having Zephyr's help would be ideal.

Two hours later.

Rouge regained consciousness.

It was the best sleep she had had in the past two years. Carrying Roger's child had kept her on edge every day, and forcing herself not to give birth had placed an ever-growing burden on her body.

She had worried that the child might suffer because of it, but his heartbeat, growing stronger with each passing day, had always reassured her.

He was such a good baby. Even after enduring so much hardship, he was still holding on.

If her baby was still holding on, what reason did she have to give up?

Now, it was finally over.

Rouge slowly opened her eyes. The weakness in her body and the emptiness in her belly jolted her out of her haze.

"Where's my baby...?"

"He's right here."

The familiar voice from behind her put Rouge at ease.

She did not know why. She had only met Ross that day, yet she already felt he was far more dependable than Roger.

Perhaps it was because Roger had chosen to leave when she needed him most.

Ross, on the other hand, had chosen to stay beside her when she was at her most desperate, giving her hope.

"My lord."

Rouge struggled to sit up.

Ross gave her no chance to do so. He reached out and gently pressed her back onto the bed.

"What you need to do now is rest. Leave the baby to me for the time being. I'll have someone come to look after him."

"Thank you..."

Rouge pressed her lips together, feeling warmth fill her heart for the first time in ages.

So this was what tenderness felt like?

She had never experienced it before.

"He's a boy. Does he have a name?"

Ross sat beside Rouge's bed with the baby in his arms. It was a heartwarming scene, as though they were a family of three.

"He said before that he wanted to call him Ace, but I don't want to use that name."

At the mention of Roger, a trace of hatred appeared in Rouge's eyes.

Almost all her suffering had come from Roger.

If Roger had not let the secret slip, how could those two years have been so difficult for her? How could those innocent women and children in the South Blue have been slaughtered?

"Let's use that name. Ace was the name of Roger's sword. Using it to cut short the era he created would make a fine ending, wouldn't it?"

Ross smiled, with no intention of changing Ace's name.

The moment people heard the name Ace, some would inevitably connect it to Roger.

Twenty years from now, he hoped Ace would bring the pirate era to a definitive end.

The impact would be far greater than if he did it himself.

Besides, after twenty years of building his strength, he ought to be powerful enough to contend with Imu.

When that time came, the tables would turn.

"Then Ace it is."

After hearing Ross's words, Rouge agreed to the name.

If Ace really achieved the outcome Ross described, that would surely be the ending the dead Roger would find hardest to accept.

"Lord Ross, why are you being so kind to us?"

With her body no longer in pain, Rouge's thoughts began to wander.

She did not understand why Ross had saved her. Her condition had been as bad as it could possibly get. The moment she gave birth to Ace, she had already felt death beckoning.

Only Stella's emergency treatment had brought her back from the brink.

Surely snatching a life back from the Shinigami demanded an enormous price.

Was she really worth it?

"You carried him for twenty-two months, just so he could be born. You're an extraordinary mother."

Ross spoke softly, a smile never leaving his lips.

"You shouldn't have to suffer because of Roger. He was a villain who ushered evil into the world, while you're simply a mother who wanted her child to survive."

"Thank you for seeing me that way."

Rouge did not know what to say.

The torment of the past two years seemed to vanish completely with Ross's words.

Perhaps meeting Ross was her reward for struggling to hold on through those two years.

"All right. You're still weak. Once you've recovered, I'll tell you a few things little by little. For now, let me feed you. Your body is badly depleted, and you need nourishment."

Ross slowly helped Rouge sit up and placed Ace in her arms before taking the rice porridge from Zany.

Rouge held Ace a little closer, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward Zany.

Stella had already been an exceptionally beautiful woman, but Zany, who had appeared now, was even more beautiful.

Rouge could not compare to either of them.

For some reason, a sudden pang of jealousy rose in her heart.

"Here, open your mouth."

Hearing the gentle voice beside her, Rouge suddenly blushed and obediently opened her mouth without thinking.

She soon felt the soothing rice porridge enter her mouth. Coming fully back to her senses, she gathered it with her tongue and swallowed.

Now, she could not even look at Ross.

He must have noticed how strangely I was acting just now. How embarrassing.