Stella was momentarily stunned, then nodded.
"Are you always this straightforward, sir?"
Rowan looked at her. "Is there a problem?"
Stella replied, "Your voice sounds very young, even if it may not be your real one. But being this direct might make it hard for you to find a girlfriend."
This time, Rowan was the one taken by surprise.
Among the slaves who had been rescued, ninety-nine percent were unable to adjust their mentality immediately.
Just like Koala in the future, who was rescued from Mary Geoise by Fisher Tiger. Even aboard the Sun Pirates' ship, she initially still regarded herself as a slave, constantly working and not even daring to cry.
But this woman... she had regained her composure just one day after being freed.
No wonder, in his memories, she had continued singing in the slave auction house. Even when taken away by a Celestial Dragon, she had maintained her smile, calling herself fortunate.
"Go have breakfast. It's provided free of charge here. Afterward, you'll need to make a choice."
After saying this, Rowan entered the tent and looked at Tesoro, who was lying on the bed.
Tesoro struggled to get up to express his gratitude, but Rowan waved his hand.
"Stop. If your wounds reopen, you might die on the spot. Your woman is still alive. You wouldn't want to die so soon."
Tesoro settled down at once, though he still managed to express his thanks.
Rowan had heard such words countless times recently. The slaves rescued from the Sabaody Archipelago were almost universally filled with gratitude.
After a while, Rowan spoke again.
"Now... you should be able to empathize, right? When someone is taken away by the Celestial Dragons and turned into a slave, imagine the pain of their loved ones."
Tesoro clenched his fists tightly, recalling how powerless he had felt just a day ago as he lay pinned to the ground.
It was the moment he hated himself the most, because he could do nothing.
"For a long time, the darkness of this world has been laid bare before my eyes. It is everywhere."
Rowan pointed upward.
"The people of this world are oppressed by them. Human trafficking, the Heavenly Tribute, wars, chaos, pirates... there is too much."
"Before this, you believed that as long as you earned enough money, bought back the woman you loved, and lived peacefully together, it would be enough. Didn't you?"
"But you never considered that even if you succeeded, someone could knock you unconscious the moment you stepped out of the auction house and sell you again."
"This is a dark world, so dark that there is not a trace of light. Those who struggle desperately just to survive eventually realize that living here can be worse than death."
"Did you know that whenever the Celestial Dragons visit the Sabaody Archipelago, anyone who kneels a moment too late is killed? A child who accidentally blocks their path is killed. A nurse who helps the wounded may be taken away by force if she catches their interest."
"After encountering a Celestial Dragon once, what do you think you could possibly do to protect the woman you love?"
Tesoro's eyes turned red, yet he remained silent.
He knew he had no way to resist. Before this, he had simply believed he would never be so unlucky. Reality had proven otherwise.
As Rowan looked at him, memories surfaced in his mind.
Ordinary people only wished to survive. They saved money, striving to change their lives step by step, perhaps dreaming of buying something meaningful of their own.
Yet time and again, the world shattered their simple hopes, leaving them to exist like walking corpses, numbing themselves just to endure.
In the future, the man known as the Golden Emperor would possess immense wealth. Yet he would still be unable to avenge himself, forced to deceive himself and drown in indulgence.
"God Valley was my homeland," Rowan continued. "But it no longer exists on maps or at sea. Sixteen years ago, it was erased by the World Government."
"I am one of its survivors. And everyone here, apart from you, has experienced something similar. Slaves, and ordinary people oppressed by the Heavenly Tribute..."
As he spoke, Rowan stood up and looked at Tesoro.
"We intend to overturn this world, so we need like-minded companions. Whether you join or not is entirely your choice. Even if you decide to join, you will have to undergo strict assessments and training."
"If you wish to leave, that is also acceptable. Someone will escort those who choose to depart. The choice belongs to each individual. There will be no coercion, and I will harbor no dissatisfaction."
The moment he finished speaking, Tesoro hastily raised his hand from the hospital bed. The movement pulled at his wounds, making him grimace in pain.
"I want to join!"
"I never want to experience something like that again. I want to protect Stella. Even if it means overturning this world!"
Hearing this, Rowan smiled.
"Then accept the assessment. However, you still do not fully understand. Overturning this world is not merely for such reasons."
"Only when you understand why you fight will your inner spirit awaken once more and become the source of your strength."
"What we need are warriors with conviction and unwavering will, people who clearly understand why they seek to overturn the world. This is something you must figure out. Think about it carefully."
With those words, Rowan stepped out of the tent.
"Ace… Ace."
"Hahaha! Remember this, Ace. From now on, you can only call that guy an old bastard. You must never call him grandfather, understand?"
"That old geezer wants to raise my generation by a rank for nothing. He's dreaming!"
"He even wants to train my son to become a Marine. What nonsense!"
Roger grumbled as he held little Ace in his arms, occasionally tickling him with a beard formed from ashes.
The child cried loudly in pain, grabbing at it and pulling out a few strands, which turned back into ashes.
Beside them, Rouge watched the father and son with a helpless smile. When her gaze fell upon that wisp of ash, she could not help but sigh.
Though his soul had revived by borrowing a vessel, allowing her to see her beloved once again was already a blessing. Yet the cracked body he now inhabited was ultimately not one of the living.
"It's alright, Rouge," Roger said, turning back with a broad grin. "Being able to see you again and witness the birth of our son is more than enough for me."
Rouge placed a small toy in Ace's arms, soothing his cries.
"In the South Blue, we were saved thanks to Vice Admiral Garp. If it hadn't been for him, the World Government would have discovered Ace and me."
Roger laughed.
"We fought each other for half a lifetime, but that old man is reliable when it truly matters. However…"
At this point, Roger's gaze turned serious.
"My existence must never be revealed to him. Do you understand?"
During the South Blue incident, after the Revolutionary Army spread intelligence under the guidance of the young gentleman, Garp had swiftly helped Rouge evade capture. Yet Roger understood Garp's character well.
If he remained dead, Rouge and Ace would be protected under Garp's care. But if he were alive, Garp's choices would change, and the young gentleman would face the full scrutiny of the World Government.
The resurrection of the dead would severely challenge the nerves of those in power.
After all, Roger's condition was not like the zombies created by the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. He was immortal, capable of using Haki, and able to recover his stamina to a certain extent without limit.
Such a state of revival would never be tolerated by the rulers of Mary Geoise.
"I understand," Rouge replied, looking at Roger. "You completed a full voyage around the world, and your words on the execution platform ushered in the Great Age of Pirates. To them, only a dead Roger can be the Pirate King. A living one would never be permitted."
As the wife of the Pirate King, the woman who prolonged her pregnancy for twenty months was anything but naive.
Before long, Ace fell asleep.
Rouge carried him back to his room and gently laid him down. After settling him, she returned to the living room and sat beside Roger, leaning softly against him.
"Is there a way to break free?" Rouge asked.
"Not at the moment," Roger replied.
"I see. Do you think the future will belong to that person?"
Roger laughed and looked at Rouge's profile. "You're still as clever as ever. I never told you anything, yet you figured it out."
Rouge closed her eyes quietly. "I don't know what lies on Laugh Tale, nor do I know who revived you with such an ability. But I understand your character. Stirring up the Great Age of Pirates without a purpose is not something you would ever do."
"After your execution, the number of pirate raids in the South Blue and now the East Blue has more than doubled. Both affiliated and non-affiliated nations have suffered greatly."
"Affiliated nations can request support from the Marines, but in non-affiliated countries, countless people have died. You always upheld the rule of never harming civilians. That final statement of yours must have had a purpose."
Roger wrapped an arm around Rouge's shoulders.
"The world has been silent for too long. Eight hundred years. I simply wanted to see that future. Before, I believed I had been born too early, but now perhaps destiny has changed."
"The one who revived you?" Rouge asked calmly, as if she had already anticipated the answer. "That's why you haven't tried to break free, isn't it? A man like you would never willingly submit to being controlled."
Roger's mustache trembled slightly. "The young gentleman is very mysterious. Both he and his abilities are shrouded in mystery. If it were the old me, I would never have accepted such a revival, even in death. But my era ended at Loguetown."
As he spoke, Roger looked toward the bedroom, where his son Ace was sleeping peacefully.
"The future belongs to them. If the young gentleman succeeds, Ace will become an outstanding adventurer. If he fails, then twenty years from now, Ace will inherit my will."
Roger clenched his fist.
As long as he was here, his son would never be led astray by that old bastard Garp.
The son of the Pirate King becoming a Marine?
Impossible.
The King of Adventurers and the second Pirate King. It could only be that.
Night fell. Roger, who did not need sleep, simply lay beside Rouge with his eyes closed.
However, in the middle of the night, he suddenly opened them and quietly slipped out.
After he left, Rouge awoke as well. She sighed softly, turned over, and went back to sleep.
"Even on vacation, no one rests like you. What's wrong? You're quitting your job?" Rowan asked irritably, his face hidden behind a mask.
Seeing Roger still smiling, Rowan resorted to his trump card.
"Return the two million Berries I advanced to you. If you don't work, you don't get paid. Don't even think about freeloading."
With a cheeky grin, Roger pushed Rowan's hand back. "I've been waiting for that old bastard Garp to leave. I only met with Dragon and the others. I've attended all my lectures, and I even scored full marks on the ideological exams."
Rowan snorted. "Garp didn't leave you much money, did he? You've got a baby who needs milk, a wife raising a child, and you're an unregistered ghost who can't show his face. If you don't work, are you planning to starve?"
"And don't mention your ideological classes. This body hasn't affected your Observation Haki. With the Voice of All Things, you can perceive the essence of these matters."
Roger coughed awkwardly. "Don't put it so bluntly. The Revolutionary Army's core ideology is quite impressive. As far as I know, nearly sixty percent of its members have already mastered Armament Haki."
Trying to change the subject, Roger pulled out a bounty poster from his chest and unfolded it.
"The young gentleman is truly impressive. Charged with attempting to destroy the world, codename Cloaked Man, appearance unknown. His first bounty is 830 million Berries, dead or alive. Hahaha!"
Rowan had already learned of this bounty while in Marineford. Logically speaking, the deaths of two Celestial Dragons should have been worth far more.
But at this point in time...
At this point in time, the Beli had not yet undergone inflation, and even Whitebeard's bounty had not reached its later heights.
Moreover, the crime of killing two Celestial Dragons could never be publicly acknowledged.
Glancing at the bounty poster, Rowan sighed and looked toward the wooden house Roger had just exited.
It seemed that his existence had already changed the childhood of a supporting character.
With both parents by his side and the guidance of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger, Ace's future would be completely different from the original timeline.
Having experienced death once, Roger, much like Whitebeard during the Paramount War, clearly regarded himself as a relic of the old era.
Only because of his two bonds in Foosha Village did he refrain from causing trouble elsewhere.
Under such circumstances, sending him to guard the Sabaody Archipelago would likely be unwelcome. Rowan had originally thought that with Rayleigh there, the two old men could keep each other company in retirement.
"In that case, I'll assign you a different mission."
Rowan looked at Roger.
"The East Blue Spark Training Program. You will coordinate with Ginny, the commander of the Revolutionary Army's Eastern Forces. Your operational range will be limited to the East Blue."
Roger was momentarily stunned before placing his hands on his hips and laughing.
"Leave it to me. I got the best scores in ideological studies. No problem at all!"
Rowan sighed. "It will be a blessing if you simply avoid causing trouble. When Garp returns, you must hide. And remember to wear a mask whenever you go out."
"Additionally, the Goa Kingdom, which governs Foosha Village, is a member nation of the World Government. The Heavenly Tribute passes through this country. I need you to monitor the schedule of its collection."
Roger asked, "Are you planning to seize the Heavenly Tribute, young gentleman?"
Rowan replied, "Once it is collected, it becomes the responsibility of the World Government to ensure its safe transport. If it is robbed, they will not collect it again. As for their escort forces, they should not pose much of a problem."
As he spoke, Rowan handed Roger a kunai.
"This body of yours cannot die, and your Observation Haki has not weakened. When the opportunity arises, place this within the Heavenly Tribute."
Roger accepted the kunai. "It seems you were prepared for this long ago, young gentleman."
Rowan glanced at him. "What do you think a revolution requires? Ideology, strength, and economic resources. None can be missing. Everyone has families to support and mouths to feed. Who can fight on an empty stomach? People like you, who abandon everything to set sail, are rare."
Roger was left speechless.
He could refute many things, but not that.
After all, weren't the men of the sea always like this?
"That's why I've never found you agreeable," Rowan said. "Go back to sleep, and make sure you raise your son well."
With those words, Rowan vanished into the night.
Under the moonlight, Roger tossed the kunai lightly in his hand.
Come to think of it, that old bastard Garp's son was never around either. If that was the case…
Was he really expected to rely on Ace to take care of him in his old age?
"Damn it!"
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