Mercer's Mouth!

Chapter 20: 020. Mercer's Mouth!

[Is that you, the jerk who always shoved me in the womb?]

[Yeah, a bit shorter than me.]

Mercer thought as he looked at the approaching figure.

Ace had heard Garp was coming and as soon as he came down, he saw Mercer about two meters away.

What is this?

He tilted his head in confusion.

He felt a strange sense of familiarity, and his heart beat a little faster. Ace asked cautiously, "Who are you?"

Mercer's expression was gentle, and he smiled:

"Don't you remember me? I held you when you were just born, Ace. I'm your father."

Visibly, Ace's small face turned dark, revealing a mouth full of white teeth. "You bastard, are you looking for a fight?"

Mercer replied with confusion:

"Am I wrong? The elder brother acts as the father. By that logic, it's not wrong for you to call me father."

At this moment, Garp, who had just walked in, punched Mercer on the head with a dark expression:

"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Mercer clutched his head in pain, bared his teeth, and turned his head to look at Garp: "Am I wrong? The elder brother acts as the father."

Dadan, who followed them in, looked at them with a subtle expression, feeling that this kid named Mercer was even more troublesome.

Good thing I don't have to raise him.

Just then, a gust of wind swept through. Mercer's peripheral vision caught a figure approaching, and he turned his eyes to see Ace's fist hurtling towards his face.

The next second, his right leg, which moved faster, extended. At the same time, Ace's stomach collided with Mercer's sole.

This caused his upper body to slump onto Mercer's leg.

Ace's eyes widened, and he let out a pained cry:

"Gyaaaao!"

Looking at Ace, Mercer chuckled: "So enthusiastic? Is this how Ace greets people? Then I understand."

Understand what?

Ace thought:

Huh?

Mercer's eyes narrowed. He quickly retracted his right foot, landed, and took a step forward.

His left hand grabbed Ace's face as he lost his balance and fell forward.

He easily lifted and tossed him up.

Ace was effortlessly thrown towards the roof by Mercer.

The moment his body passed Mercer's face, Mercer grabbed his left and right ankles with both hands.

Mercer started to move, spinning rapidly in place. Instantly, "Ahhhhhhh!!! Let go of me! Hurry!"

Ace's childish screams echoed incessantly.

After more than ten spins, Mercer slowly reduced his speed and finally laid Ace flat on the floor.

Looking at Ace, whose eyes had turned into spirals, Mercer grinned.

He stepped forward and straddled Ace's stomach, gently patting Ace's cheek with his right hand. After a few seconds, he saw Ace's consciousness focus.

"Ace, you must remember, your big brother will always be your big brother."

"If you want to overthrow me, wait for your next life."

Seeing Ace's unconvinced expression, Mercer sat to the side, beside him.

He grabbed Ace's collar and pulled him up. Looking at Ace, who was sitting on the floor with him, Mercer looked at him with gentle eyes.

This is my brother.

"Long time no see, Ace. Did you miss me? Although you don't remember anything from back then."

"Hmph!" Ace turned his head away, his expression proud and aloof. "Who would miss you? Who do you think you are? Do you think I remember you?"

Mercer chuckled:

"Oh~, then I heard from Grandpa that you missed me a lot. If that's the case, then I'll leave."

Saying that, Mercer stood up and walked towards Garp.

Suddenly, Mercer looked back at Ace, accurately catching the anxiety in his eyes and his slightly parted lips. Mercer smiled: "Hehe! Don't worry, I'm not leaving today."

Mercer turned back, grabbed Ace by the back of his collar, and lifted him up.

Looking at him seriously, Mercer smiled after a few seconds.

"Little brother, let's formally meet. My name is Mercer, Portgas D. Mercer. I'm your full brother, born in the same year, month, day, and hour as you. I'm the real deal, guaranteed."

Ace tilted his head, "Really?"

"Nonsense. How about we prick our fingers and do a blood-recognition ceremony? I guarantee I'm your brother. Wait, no, we're definitely related."

Ace's eyes reddened as he looked at Mercer. Then, he wiped his eyes and sniffled.

"My name is Ace, Portgas D. Ace. If you haven't mistaken me for someone else, then I'm your younger brother."

"You haven't mistaken me. Don't worry, we look quite alike, at least seventy percent. When I grow up a bit, we'll go out, and if I say I'm your father, no one will object."

Mercer patted Ace on the shoulder.

Hearing this, Ace disgustedly pushed Mercer's hand away and said, "Are you done? You just came out a few seconds before me. If I hadn't let you, it's still up in the air who's older."

Mercer: "You want to usurp me? Fine, beat me first. If you can't, then shut up."

"This rule is always in effect, I'm telling you. Guaranteed."

Ace bit his lip, looking unwilling. Mercer looked at him and patted his head again. "Alright, come here and see, I brought you a gift."

Mercer took the luggage bag from Garp's hand, opened it, and took out sets of new clothes.

There were only outfits for autumn and winter.

The quality was very good.

"I bought them according to my body size, but I bought them one size too small."

"Now they seem to fit perfectly. You're exactly one size smaller than me."

This was also inevitable. In recent years, under Kureha's medicinal cuisine and tonics, Mercer's body had developed better than that of a normal child.

Ace obviously couldn't compare. Thus, buying one size smaller was just right.

Mercer held the new clothes up to Ace's body to gauge the fit. Then, he took out two cartons of cigarettes from the bag and handed them to Dadan.

"Ace must have caused you a lot of trouble."

"I didn't know if you guys smoked, but it seems what I prepared is just right."

"I also don't know what brands you usually like, so I bought two cartons of popular ones. I hope you like them."

Looking at the cigarettes Mercer handed over, their packaging was a rose gold color. Dadan accepted them with a smile.

"Not at all, Ace is quite well-behaved. It's normal for boys to be lively."

Dadan's eyes lit up as she looked at the brand of cigarettes, "KING GROUND. One carton each of the male and female styles."

"These are good cigarettes."

Mercer heard this and smiled, "I didn't know that. After all, I'm still young and don't smoke. I'm relieved to see you like them."

In an instant, under Mercer's barrage of sweet talk, Dadan's impression of Mercer improved significantly.

She felt that if Mercer really lived with her, she wouldn't be unable to accept it.

Garp watched this scene and smiled. He hadn't expected Mercer to do such things.

"However~, it's alright. At least he's more mature than that brat Ace. He can be considered a brother."

At this moment, Ace quietly asked Mercer, "How are things on Drum Island in the Grand Line? Is your body okay?"

Garp had told him about it.

"It's just like that. It's winter all year round. Every day, I just learn medicine with Doctor Doriel, go hunting, and exercise. Life is quite plain and ordinary. It's okay."

"Then where did the money for your purchases come from? Did Doctor Doriel give it to you?" Ace asked curiously.

"Not at all. Some of it came from robbing bad guys. Also, on the way here, I encountered a slave ship, and we took care of them."

Ace's expression stiffened, and he looked at Mercer in disbelief.

Dadan, standing nearby, suddenly felt the cigarettes in her hand become heavy. She realized she had been naive earlier.

"Little Mercer, is what you're saying true? A slave ship?"

Mercer nodded. "It's true, but I was on a support mission. The main work was done by Grandpa's adjutant."

Dadan immediately relaxed.

The group chatted for a while longer. Time passed, and before they knew it, the sky had turned dark.

Mercer also "learned" the true profession of Dadan's family during the conversation.

A group of mountain bandits.

It wasn't as deserted as it was now; many people had gone out hunting.

In the evening, those who had gone hunting returned. Upon seeing Garp, they all became like mice meeting a cat.

They were obedient and cautious.

After dinner at Dadan's, the four of them sat around the stove.

As for the rest of the mountain bandits, they kept their distance and behaved themselves, afraid of upsetting Garp in any way.

Some slept, others went for walks. They tried their best not to be in Garp's line of sight.

Although Garp himself didn't care about any of this.

At this moment, Ace asked in his childish voice, "Grandpa, you promised me that once Mercer arrived, you'd tell us who our real parents are."

"It's time to tell us now."

A look of understanding appeared on Garp's face, and he fell silent.

"Real parents! To be honest, I'm a bit reluctant to tell you. So, I'll ask you, do you really want to know?"

Ace's little face tensed. "Yes."

Mercer: "Whatever."

Hearing Mercer's words, Garp looked unsurprised.

"Your mother is Portgas D. Rouge, a great mother. You were in her womb for over twenty months, and after you were born, she also died from exhaustion.

It was she who, with her wisdom, her life, and every means possible, made your birth possible."

The people present swallowed hard, especially Dadan, the woman, though she had never been married herself.

"And your father is... Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, the man who created this dangerous Great Pirate Era."

The expressions of those sitting around varied.

Some were shocked.

Some were terrified.

Some were indifferent.

After giving them enough time to process.

Next, Garp recounted the entire story – the cause, the process, and the outcome – from his first encounter with Roger, to their later mutual admiration, and finally to Roger entrusting his children to him before his death.

For reasons unknown, Garp told them everything about how he met Roger.

"This is your origin, and this is the background you've always wanted to know."

Dadan's face was filled with horror, and she spoke excitedly and somewhat incoherently, "What is all this? Garp, do you want me to die?

Why do you have to tell me something like this? Couldn't you have just let me leave?"

Hearing this, Garp asked in confusion:

"When it comes to someone else's background, shouldn't you normally avoid it yourself?"

"Also, I think as Ace's adoptive mother, you are qualified to know these things."

"I wish I wasn't qualified! Is that something I should know? I'm just an ordinary mountain bandit.

If anyone else found out, could I still live? Ahhh!! You've killed me, you bastard Garp!!"

Mercer picked at his ear, looking helpless, and had to speak to comfort her. "Don't worry, Dadan. We're all family here. As long as we don't say anything, no one will know.

Besides, you have Grandpa to watch your back, so don't worry, he'll protect you."

Dadan looked at Garp with teary eyes, full of hope.

"You old geezer, you'll protect me, right? Say something."

Garp sighed. "As long as you don't blab, I'll guarantee you won't die.

But if any of you spill the beans, you won't need me to do anything; you'll die without a place to hide."

At this moment, Ace looked at Mercer, his eyes filled with confusion and helplessness. "Aren't you surprised, Mercer?"

Even though he was young, he knew the notorious reputation of the Pirate King, Roger.

"Why should I be surprised?"

"I am very grateful to Mom Rouge. I will remember this kindness for my entire life."

"As for that so-called Pirate King father? Sorry, I don't know him. And I don't want to think about such troublesome things."

"I'll live the same way I always have. As for the future, we'll talk about it when it comes."

"Just live in the present and be happy. Why think so much about other things? Isn't it tiring?"

"Or do you think being the Pirate King's child is amazing? Do you think you have some special mission?

Ace, you're not asleep yet, so stop daydreaming. We're just ordinary people.

The Pirate King was also a person, perhaps just a slightly stronger ordinary person.

Just like Grandpa said, he died of an illness."

Seeing Ace stunned by his string of words, Mercer smiled.

"Remember, we can't decide who our parents are, but we can decide how we live our future."

"Little brother, don't get stuck in a rut. You're not special, you're just an ordinary person. Likewise, so am I."

Ace nodded dumbly, and Mercer reached out to ruffle his slightly curly black hair.

"Even though you don't have your biological parents, you can call me Dad. An elder brother acts as a father. Of course, since I'm already playing the father, I don't mind being a mother too."

"Are you going to call me that?"

Mercer smirked and looked at Ace with a smile.

Ace stared at Mercer without a word, gritting his teeth. "You bastard, you're already taking advantage of me by being my older brother, how much more advantage do you want to take?"

"Tch, who's taking advantage of whom is still up for debate. You're the one crying wolf."

Mercer's every word left Ace stifled, his small mouth as if smeared with honey.

Garp, standing by, also breathed a sigh of relief.

The son of the universally known Pirate King.

The pressure of such an identity was no small matter.

If handled poorly, it could cause immense psychological burdens.

After all, words could be terrifying.

This world was ultimately filled with more ignorant commoners, and commoners lacked broad perspectives. They were always swayed by rumors, and most people detested the Pirate King. He was afraid Ace would later hear those foul words and become fixated on them.

As for Mercer? That was out of the question.

Garp didn't believe his precocious grandson would care about such things.

Ace was very sensitive, while Mercer, in Garp's eyes, was sometimes quite indifferent.

It was precisely because Mercer was present that he was willing to recount the past events concerning Roger in detail.

He wanted them to have a comprehensive understanding of Roger.

He also wanted Mercer, as the elder brother, to properly influence his foolish and naive younger brother.

Furthermore, this kind of guidance would be more effective coming from his own brother, Mercer.

Otherwise, he would have preferred not to say anything.

As expected, just as he predicted, the intelligent and calm elder brother had rendered the foolish and agitated younger brother speechless.

Garp's lips curled.

The plan was a success.

Indeed, Mercer's mouth had never disappointed him.

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