~
Time flew by...
In the blink of an eye, a month passed in a hurry~
During that month, Shaya maintained his happy routine of training, reading, and testing every day.
Every morning, Shaya would first walk halfway around the island...
He would briefly show himself before the Marines and World Government agents stationed near the island's docks, reassuring them while continuing to have them wait around the island's perimeter~
At noon, Shaya would seek out Garp and Roger to practice martial arts and swordsmanship. It had to be said that Shaya's learning ability was truly remarkable. He could basically master a technique every two or three days~
At night, Shaya would go find Stussy! That was when Shaya's level-seven endurance displayed its divine might!
However, Shaya's unmatched prowess made things miserable for Stussy...
She couldn't take it. She really couldn't take it anymore!
Regarding this, Stussy said, "No, I need to find this damned stallion a few more women to 'put out his fire.' I really can't serve him all by myself anymore!"
Whenever this happened, Shaya could only sigh helplessly~
What could he do? He was just that enduring, wasn't he?!
As time reached one month later...
It was also time for Shaya and Roger's group to part ways~
Before Roger's secluded cabin.
Shaya, Stussy, Garp, and Rouge were bidding Roger farewell~
Roger folded his arms before his chest. Looking at Shaya, he spoke with a trace of emotion in his expression. "Kid, you really are worthy of being Shanks's brother! Your talent for swordsmanship surpasses even Shanks's! Perhaps one day in the future, you might become the strongest swordsman on these seas~"
"Hehe..." At this point, Roger suddenly gave a cold laugh, jealousy flashing in his eyes. "What did the Figarland family ever do to deserve producing two such outstanding children? It's enough to make me envy that beast Garin! How can Garin, a Celestial Dragon breeding stallion, have so many exceptional children? Could it be because he has so many?"
Sometimes, Roger also wondered whether he had started dating far too late.
Whether it was Garp, his friend and rival, or his mortal enemy Garin Saint Figarland, whom he had met during the God Valley Incident, their children had already displayed astonishing and formidable talent. Given time, they would all rise to prominence upon these seas and become overlords in their own right! Yet whether Roger's own child could even be born was still another matter~
"Hehe~"
In response to Roger's complaints and praise, Shaya merely smiled faintly.
"Then let's proceed according to the plan~"
"Madam Rouge will leave with us first..."
"One month after we leave, Roger, you will encounter Vice Admiral Garp on a nearby island. After fighting Vice Admiral Garp for three days and three nights, you will ultimately be unable to withstand the Marines who arrive as reinforcements. You will be defeated by the Hero of the Marines and successfully captured by the Marines. By then, it will be a win-win situation for the World Government, the Marines, and you, Roger..."
Shaya looked at Roger and spoke with a smile.
"Yeah! We'll do as you say~"
After hearing Shaya's words, Roger responded with a smile.
Then, Roger personally took Rouge's delicate hand. Reluctantly, he placed it into Shaya's hand and said softly, "As for Rouge, I'll leave her to you!"
"Rest assured! I shall raise your wife and child, so do not worry..."
After taking Rouge's hand from Roger, Shaya looked at him with a smile and replied.
After answering Roger, Shaya did not forget to gently say to Rouge, "Sister-in-law, from now on, just live with me in peace. You can rely on me as if I were Brother Roger~"
"Then I'll be relying on you!"
After hearing Shaya's words, deep gratitude filled Rouge's eyes.
Although, during these days, whether it was Roger, Shaya, or Garp, whenever they discussed future arrangements, they deliberately avoided doing so in front of her. Whenever they saw her, they always wore smiles, as though they did not want to put too much pressure on her~
But Rouge was an intelligent woman. She actually understood everything. She usually acted like a pure and innocent woman only because she did not want the man who was about to die to have any worries. That was all...
"Sister-in-law, there's no need for you to be polite!" Shaya waved his hand repeatedly at Rouge. "Brother Roger and I hit it off at first sight. We are sworn brothers. Helping with something this small is only what I should do!"
"Rouge..."
At that moment, Roger seemed to remember something. He took Rouge's hand, his eyes full of tenderness, and softly said, "I'm sorry, Rouge~ In this life, I won't be able to stay with you until we grow old together. You'll have to work hard on your own in the future~"
"I am the key meant to usher in a new era! The new era no longer has a ship capable of carrying me~ My journey is about to end here! But your journey, and the child's journey, have only just begun~"
Roger paused before continuing, "After the child is born, if it is a boy, call him Ace. If it is a girl, call her Anne!"
"Mm, I'll remember! Roger, go in peace! Don't have any worries. Whatever you want to do, do it according to what your heart truly desires! I will definitely give birth to your child, I swear..."
Rouge gazed deeply at Roger's weathered face. In these final moments, she wanted to imprint his appearance in her mind~
"The person I've wronged most in this life is you..."
Roger looked at Rouge, regret in his expression.
"Kid Shaya, this sword has accompanied me for half my life. Take it too!"
"If my child likes swordsmanship in the future, remember to pass it on to him for me..."
After gazing deeply into Rouge's eyes for a while, Roger seemed to think of something. He drew Ace from his waist and prepared to hand it to Shaya as he spoke...
However, the moment Roger drew Ace, Shaya saw deep reluctance in Roger's eyes! In Shaya's view, Roger's reluctance to part with Ace was even greater than his reluctance to part with his wife and unborn child~
After all, to a master swordsman with exceptional skill, the sword they carried was essentially half of themselves. Even more so for the incomparably sharp famed blade Ace, which had witnessed Roger's journey from an ordinary pirate to the Pirate King praised by all. It had accompanied Roger from poverty to wealth, from youth to old age, and bore close witness to Roger's legendary, magnificent life!
But understanding was one thing. Shaya still had to curse, "Roger, you scumbag!"
"There's no need for the sword just yet~"
After hearing Roger's words, Shaya calmly shook his head.
"Why?"
Roger's expression revealed a trace of confusion. Looking at Shaya, he asked, "Isn't this sword exactly what you wanted?!"
"I did say that I wanted your sword, but not now..."
After hearing Roger's words, Shaya smiled faintly.
"Hm?!"
Roger slowly furrowed his brow. He seemed unable to understand what Shaya was up to?! Could it be that this little bastard Shaya intended to raise the price at the last minute?
But he, Roger, had nothing left to give Shaya now, did he? After entrusting his wife and child to Shaya, he was now merely a dying man without any attachments. Nothing more~
"Roger, you're sick, not stupid..."
"If I leave with your sword now, then your wife and child won't be safe!"
"Who on these seas doesn't know that Ace, one of the Greatest Grade Swords, and one of the twin legends of the seas alongside Whitebeard's Murakumogiri, is the sword of Pirate King Gol D. Roger?!"
"If I swagger away with your sword, am I supposed to tell the world that I, Shaya Saint Figarland, had contact with Pirate King Roger?!"
"I had just met with you, then happened to return to the Holy Land with a pregnant woman. Do you think the Five Elders wouldn't become suspicious?"
"Roger, use that walnut-sized brain of yours properly. Don't harm all of us because of one of your sudden whims, all right?! If there's something I'm not taking now, then there must be a reason. It isn't that I don't want to take it. It's that I simply can't..."
Shaya looked at Roger as though he were looking at an idiot.
"Ah, this..."
After hearing Shaya's words, Roger immediately fell silent.
"So, sign a contract with me first~"
As he spoke, Shaya gave Roger no chance to think further. At a signal from his eyes, Stussy took out the contract he had prepared in advance.
The contents of the contract were simple, yet it filled more than fifty pages. Shaya had essentially patched up every possible loophole!
In summary, it really only said one thing...
After Roger died, Roger's inheritance would be held in Shaya's custody and handed over to Roger's child once he or she came of age.
"So many pages?"
Looking at the contract before him, Roger immediately felt dizzy.
Asking Roger to fight or kill someone was no problem~
But asking him to read a document filled with dense writing that was more than fifty pages long was worse than just killing him outright?!
"Stop talking nonsense and just sign it!"
"Don't worry, I won't harm you..."
"You're a dying man. There's nothing I can gain from you anyway..."
Shaya had Stussy use a Transponder Snail to record everything, preventing anyone from claiming that the contract he and Pirate King Roger had signed was fake.
Of course, Shaya had also invited the Hero of the Marines, Garp, to serve as a witness, ensuring the contract's validity~ It had to be said that Shaya was extremely cautious~
"Well, all right!"
Roger first looked at Shaya, then at his wife Rouge, and then at Garp, who was like a kindred spirit to him. In the end, he took the fountain pen Shaya handed him and signed the name Gol D. Roger wherever his signature was required~
Roger's feelings were complicated at that moment. No one knew his physical condition better than he did. He had no other choice now but to trust Shaya. Besides, Garp, his close friend, was there to witness the signing. Surely Shaya would not cheat him...
Yes, Shaya would not cheat him even a little~
Those fifty-plus pages of contract were fucking full of traps!
"Now that the contract has been signed, Madam, please come with me~"
After confirming that Roger had signed the contract, the corners of Shaya's lips rose slightly.
After signaling Stussy beside him to put away the contract Roger had signed, he tightly clasped Rouge's fair, tender hand. Protected by Garp and Stussy on either side, he walked into the distance~
"..."
For a moment, before that desolate cabin, only the legendary Pirate King Gol D. Roger remained, standing there alone...
Roger watched Shaya's group recede with mixed feelings. He watched as his wife and soon-to-be-born child were led away by Shaya, yet he could do nothing about it~
In the end, he had personally entrusted his wife and child to Shaya. After all, he was already terminally ill and would soon die~
"Thankfully, at the very end, I still have you to keep me company!"
With that, Roger raised Ace in his hand and muttered to himself.
If Shaya had heard Roger's words at that moment, he would surely have looked at him with disdain and softly said, "Roger, Roger! Even if you weren't sick, you were destined to end up alone! A scumbag like you, who knew he was going to die, carried a mountain of debt, and was hunted by countless enemies, was incredibly lucky to meet Rouge in his later years, a woman willing to bear your child~ But it's fine. With me, Rouge will finally live a happy life~"
And so...
Under Roger's watch...
Under Garp's protection...
Shaya held Stussy in his left arm and Rouge in his right as they headed toward the World Government ship docked at the edge of town~
"Saint Shaya has returned..."
The moment Shaya appeared...
The Marines and government agents, who had as usual been standing on the deck of the World Government warship, yawning endlessly and inwardly complaining about how much longer Shaya planned to remain on this godforsaken island, immediately disembarked. They formed two lines before Shaya and welcomed his return.
Of course, those agents and Marines also noticed the two women in Shaya's arms~
They were not surprised that Stussy had become Shaya's woman. They had long guessed that Shaya would not keep such an unbelievably beautiful woman as Stussy by his side without making a move on her~
They just had not expected him to take two at once...
All they could say was, as expected of a Celestial Dragon. He really knew how to play~
"From now on, these two are my wives. When you see them, treat them as though you have seen me. Do you understand?!"
Holding Stussy and Rouge in his arms, Shaya coldly addressed the surrounding agents and Marines.
"Yes, sir~"
Upon hearing this, the Marines and agents immediately dropped to one knee and answered respectfully.
"Mm~"
Shaya was satisfied with everyone's reaction...
Only after they had knelt did he hold Stussy and Rouge as he boarded the World Government warship~
After Saint Shaya boarded the warship, those World Government agents and Marines began gossiping in their minds. "So Saint Shaya stayed on this godforsaken island for more than a month because he was chasing women~ No wonder, no wonder!"
Making the Hero of the Marines, who should have been out fighting pirates, stand guard outside for an entire month just for a woman truly suited the debauched, lawless nature of the Celestial Dragons~
A four-thousand-word mega chapter. Please keep reading! Please keep reading! Please keep reading, brothers~
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