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Ace's words made Ikki fall silent.
Ace's idea of "changing everything" likely meant ensuring that Rouge could give birth naturally without dying from exhaustion.
But… could it really be changed?
Technically, yes.
For instance, Ace had once mentioned that the kanabo Kaido used decades later was the one he had given him—the one that could change size at will.
In other words, their actions in the past were already influencing the future.
That change had been unintentional on Ikki's part.
But this—saving Rouge—would be a deliberate interference. If they altered events too much, it could create an entirely new parallel timeline.
And in that case… who knew if he and Ace could even return to the future they came from?
—
Ace didn't press further. He simply waited in silence as Ikki thought it over.
After some serious consideration, Ikki came up with a solution—change nothing… except for the one thing that mattered most.
Rouge's childbirth was inevitable. But what Ace truly wanted to change was her death.
If Rouge could survive after giving birth, then Ikki could take her somewhere safe and hidden for twenty years. Once he and Ace returned to their original time, they could reunite with her.
This way, Ace would still grow up without his mother's presence—ensuring minimal disruption to the timeline—but Rouge herself would live on.
—
Ikki explained his plan to Ace.
Ace listened carefully, then, after a brief moment of thought, agreed.
He didn't want to lose his two brothers, Sabo and Luffy. He didn't want to erase the childhood he had shared with them.
This plan… was the best compromise.
As for saving his mother's life—Ace believed Ikki could do it.
"Alright… I agree to this plan!"
—
Seeing Ace agree, Ikki smirked. "So… are you going to introduce yourself to your mother now?"
Ace shook his head.
"No. It's best to let things happen naturally. If I want to know the truth, I'll have plenty of time later."
Ikki hadn't expected that answer. For some reason, he suddenly felt that Ace had matured a lot in just this short moment.
Since Ace didn't want to approach Rouge directly, Ikki didn't push him.
—
And so, Ikki and Ace settled on Batellila Island.
To avoid suspicion from the locals, they even disguised themselves as merchants buying and selling oysters.
During this time, aside from the news of the Pirate King's execution, other major events were unfolding in the world.
In the New World, several new powerhouses were rising, each vying for dominance.
Among them was Kaido of the Beasts, who was constantly challenging strong opponents—or on the road to challenge them.
Whitebeard was still gathering sons.
Charlotte Linlin was still searching for a husband.
And in other news, the Golden Lion had stormed Marineford alone—only to be defeated and captured by Garp, whose waist strength was now legendary.
—
Ikki was shocked when he read about Garp taking down the Golden Lion alone.
In the original timeline, Garp and Sengoku had fought together to capture him, and the battle had been so intense that Marineford suffered heavy destruction.
But this time, the report made it sound way too casual—almost like Garp had just gone out for a walk and happened to capture the Golden Lion along the way.
"Holy shit… just how strong is Mr. Garp now?"
Curious, Ikki searched for any news about Garp's victory over the Rocks Pirates, but he couldn't find anything. It seemed the World Government had completely buried that story.
—
More than a month passed.
And then—the fateful day arrived.
The execution of Gol D. Roger.
Even though Ace always claimed to hate Roger, he couldn't help feeling a little uneasy knowing his father was being executed today.
But he also understood… the person who was suffering the most right now wasn't him.
It was Rouge.
—
At that moment, Rouge stood alone on the beach, her pregnant belly full and round.
This was the very place where she and Roger had parted for the last time.
Not far away, Ace was silently watching her from behind a rock.
Ikki, crouched next to him, whispered, "Hey, if you keep following her around like this, you do realize you look like some creepy stalker, right?"
"I'm just making sure she's safe," Ace muttered.
"Aren't you afraid she'll notice you?"
Ace scoffed. "No way—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Rouge spoke softly, without even turning around.
"I've been watching you for a while now. Come out."
Ace: …
The slap in the face was instant.
Ace awkwardly stepped forward, realizing he had no choice now.
Rouge turned to them with a calm but wary expression. "Are you… oyster merchants? Why do you keep following me?"
She eyed their masks suspiciously.
In truth, she was feeling a little panicked. Seeing their masked faces immediately made her think of CP agents.
Ace quickly waved his hands. "I… we're not perverts!"
"If you're not perverts," Rouge said, narrowing her eyes, "then take off your masks and let me see your faces." (T/N: Ace be like: What to do when your mom suspects you are a stalker stalking her.)
She was testing them.
If they were really from Cipher Pol, they wouldn't remove their masks so easily. If they hesitated, she would take action immediately.
She had already prepared an escape route. A boat was hidden nearby, ready for her to flee at a moment's notice.
Even if it was dangerous to draw attention to herself now… she had to protect the child inside her.
—
Ikki and Ace exchanged glances.
After a brief hesitation, they both removed their masks, revealing their youthful faces.
Seeing this, Rouge relaxed slightly.
They weren't CP agents after all.
But… they could still be stalkers or weirdos.
Maybe they thought she was just a lonely pregnant woman living alone, an easy target…
Her wary gaze fell on Ace's face.
And then—something unexpected happened.
She felt a strange sense of familiarity.
A closeness that she couldn't explain.
"Is this pervert some kind of spiritual Devil Fruit user?"
—
Seeing that Rouge was still on guard, Ace instinctively took a step back.
"D-Don't worry! We're leaving! Just… be careful where you step!"
She was standing close to the edge of the coast. One wrong step could be disastrous—especially for both her and the baby.
Slowly, Ikki and Ace backed away, making it clear they meant no harm.
Rouge exhaled softly, feeling a bit relieved.
Then, without another word, she turned and began walking toward the town.
As long as she was among people, even if these two were stalkers or weirdos, they wouldn't dare try anything reckless.