When Rosse returned to Rogue's house, the house was still brightly lit.
Ace had been brought back from Stella by Rogue. At this moment, Rogue was sitting beside the cradle, still holding on energetically, waiting.
The window broken open by Garp had also been repaired by Stella, but the method of repair was simple, just a wooden plank nailed as a cover.
Creak!
The door was pushed open by Rosse. He glanced at the layout of the room, then sat down beside Rogue, "Today you were frightened. For once and for all, this was the best method."
If it was just to stop Garp, the simplest way would definitely have been to bring Rogue and Ace back to the Holy Land early, but then Rosse would miss an S-rank defeat reward.
To have another chance to defeat Garp, who knows when that would be.
This current situation could be considered the best result.
Rosse had long prepared a contingency plan. If Garp had found the real Ace, then his speech would not have been the same as just now.
Garp had far more concerns than he did.
In terms of strength, he couldn't overpower Garp for now, but as long as Garp remained in the lawful faction, he would never be able to outplay him.
"It's already enough. I'm just glad you all are here," Rogue lowered her eyes, her tone filled with deep exhaustion.
She didn't understand.
Before giving birth to Ace, everyone avoided her like the plague.
After giving birth to Ace, everyone rushed toward her.
What did they take her for, and what did they take Ace for?
Rogue actually knew, Rosse also came because of Ace. Otherwise, just her as an ordinary woman, she was not worthy of Rosse's attention.
But at least during this process, Rosse chose to give her respect.
Everyone else, including Roger, including Garp, never asked her opinion, never cared about her.
If not for Rosse, she would already be a dead person.
Rosse could have waited for her to die, then directly taken Ace away, there was no need to save her at all.
"He's Garp, right?"
"That's right, Marine hero Garp, also the main force that once hunted Roger, just never managed to catch him," Rosse nodded.
"Chased and chased, and in the end became friends. Is this the so-called freedom and romance of pirates?", Rogue's gaze swept over the hole in the window, revealing a trace of self-mockery.
At least, Roger's judgment of people was accurate.
That Marine man whom he was willing to entrust his child to, even at the cost of violating the principles of justice, still insisted on taking Ace away, this said enough.
"Pirates are like that. Many Marine people are not much different. Their thought patterns are incomprehensible to normal people. The garbage dump is their true destination," Rosse said indifferently.
"Then what about you? Do you also want to take Ace away?", Rogue fixed her gaze on Rosse, eyes deep, no one knew what she was thinking at the moment.
"Only I can protect him, protect him growing up beside you. This, you should already know," Rosse didn't back down at all, his gaze calmly meeting Rogue's.
Ace was originally a crucial reason he came. Otherwise, why would he have rushed here like this?
"I know. So I have only two requests," Rogue's eyes flashed with a trace of dimness. Those without power, in the end, cannot choose their fate, only wait for fate to come knocking.
The only thing to be glad about was that misfortune was one step slower than good luck.
"Speak, let's hear it," Rosse didn't mind negotiating conditions. With Rogue's perspective, she couldn't come up with excessive demands.
He was confident that these days he had left a good impression in Rogue's heart, but people aren't pre-programmed routines. In such a short time, how could he shake the mind of a strong-willed woman?
If Rogue didn't have enough persistence, she couldn't have endured the pain of being pregnant for 22 months.
A woman like this, in a way, is also a ruthless person.
"I want to stay by Ace's side until he grows up."
"As it should be," Rosse nodded in agreement.
To become truly strong, aside from talent, personality and mindset are also crucial.
Among them, it splits into the ruthless path and the emotional path.
The ruthless path stops at nothing for the goal, willing to abandon everything for strength or other pursuits.
The emotional path becomes strong to protect, strength is for better safeguarding feelings.
He never planned to raise Ace as a killing machine.
True death warriors were never brainwashed into emotionless tools.
It had always been, a favor as heavy as a mountain, a willingness to face fire and boiling water for the lord.
A man moved by gratitude, would willingly spill blood and sacrifice himself.
Raising a person who understands gratitude is far more valuable and easier than raising someone without emotion.
Rogue, was the grace Rosse prepared for Ace.
"Can you take Ace as your adopted son?", Hearing Rosse agree, Rogue spoke her second condition. After saying it, she instinctively lowered her head.
This condition, even she felt a bit presumptuous saying it.
After all, Rosse was a Celestial Dragon, while Ace was the posthumous son of the Pirate King Roger, no matter how you think about it, Rosse wouldn't agree.
"No problem. From today, Ace will be Jaygarcia D. Ace. But he is not my biological child, so he cannot bear the title of Saint," Rosse nodded slightly.
He didn't just agree to adopt, he even gave Ace his surname.
As for the surname, he had the right to decide it himself.
Back then, not all the Jaygarcia had stayed in the Holy Land. In the ancestral land, there were still many branches. Some had changed their surnames later, and only a few continued it to this day.
"My lord, you are always so gentle. Sometimes, I really don't know how to repay you...", When Rosse easily agreed to the first condition, Rogue didn't feel much, just sighed in relief, thinking Rosse was genuinely good.
But when Rosse also agreed to the second condition, Rogue began to feel some pressure.
She was not the kind of person who could accept others' kindness without guilt.
Rosse treated her and her son so well, Rogue really didn't know how to repay him.
"Wah!", Ace suddenly cried out, drawing both their attention.
Rogue immediately stood up and walked to Ace's side.
After a period of adjustment, she had already become used to Ace's existence. With help from Stella and others, there hadn't been any major issues.
When a baby cries suddenly, it's either hunger or a diaper.
Rogue first checked and confirmed that Ace's lower half was fine. She instantly knew that Ace was hungry.
After busying for a while, she seemed to forget that Rosse was nearby, or perhaps mistook him for Stella or Zanny. Usually when Ace cried, one of those two would be beside her, and she was used to having someone around.
When Ace began to suckle, Rogue finally came to her senses, "Don't look!"
Facing Rosse's open and calm gaze, Rogue's face turned red in an instant, 'How can I be so careless!'
"Shall I wait outside?", Rosse smiled and said.
"Okay…", Rogue had just opened her mouth, but thinking that Rosse had already seen, she shook her head and pursed her lips, "No need, just stay here."
Back then when Rosse helped deliver the baby, he saw far more than this.
The entire process had been under Rosse's gaze, which made Rogue extremely self-conscious.
Until Ace fell into deep sleep, she forgot to lower her clothes.
Facing Rosse's unrestrained stare, Rogue's brain short-circuited and she instinctively said, "Do you want to try?" [T/N: 👀]
"Hmm?", Rosse was first stunned, then a smile appeared on his face, "Sure!" [T/N: Mah nig*err]
Since Rogue took the initiative, how could he refuse?
Without waiting for Rogue to react, Rosse stepped forward and lowered his head.
"Mmm mmm mmm…"
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