"Roger..."
Rouge clenched her fists tightly, her breathing becoming rapid with anger.
Originally, due to her past experiences, her feelings for Roger had long since faded away.
Hearing that she and her child were suffering because of Roger only fueled her hatred for him.
She didn't care if they tormented her.
But the child in her womb was innocent.
She would never forgive anyone who tried to kill her child!
Originally, she had directed all these negative emotions at the Marines and the World Government.
It was only now that she realized the Marines and the World Government had been acting passively. If Roger hadn't leaked the information, none of this would have happened.
"Roger, that's your child too..."
Rouge's tears fell uncontrollably, and the thought of having entrusted herself to the wrong person filled her with despair.
"Madam, please don't get too excited; it would be bad for the baby."
Ross sat down on the edge of the bed, holding Rouge's hand tightly with his left hand and putting his right arm around her shoulder, letting Rouge lean against him.
What bad intentions could he possibly have? He just wanted to pass on the truth.
When Rouge first heard the devastating news, all she needed was a shoulder to lean on.
So, he was a good person!
"I'm sorry... I lost my temper..."
Rouge pressed herself against Ross's chest, tears streaming down her face, but she tried her best to suppress her emotions as she felt the pain in her abdomen.
She knew she was unlikely to survive, and only hoped that her child could live.
Lord Ross was a good man; he would probably grant her request...
In Rouge's mind, Roger was Roger, she was herself, and the child was the child.
Roger's crimes had nothing to do with the child.
Even though they were blood relatives, that relationship had ceased to exist the moment Roger leaked the secret.
The child in her womb was simply her bloodline, nothing more.
Stella.
Ross felt Rouge trembling in his arms and seemed to realize something, so he immediately gave Stella a look.
Stella quickly stepped forward, stood on the other side of the bed, and placed her hands on Rouge's stomach.
"Who are you?"
Rouge was in unbearable pain and had no strength to resist, but she still watched Stella nervously.
"She is the possessor of the Heal-Heal Fruit. You are about to give up. She can keep you and your child safe," Ross said softly.
"My child, can really..."
Rouge understood the implication in Ross's words, raised her head, and looked at the man who was so close to her with hopeful eyes.
If only I had met him first...
"Don't worry, hatred shouldn't be perpetuated because of bloodlines. Unless the lady and her children agree with Roger and are willing to inherit everything from him, they have nothing to do with him."
Ross spoke in a gentle voice, trying his best to make Rouge relax.
Now that things had come to this point, of course he wanted both mother and child.
If Rouge could survive, Ace was more likely to develop in the direction he hoped for.
"Thanks."
Rouge felt a sense of relief wash over her; the tension she had been holding back finally snapped.
However, this break was due to her voluntary release.
Even if she would most likely die, as long as the child lived, that was enough.
The user of the Heal-Heal Fruit would be able to save this child who was later than the normal childbearing age...
"Master, please help me tear open her clothes; I need to prepare for childbirth."
Seeing this, Stella quickly asked Ross for help.
She had been studying with doctors in the Holy Land recently and had learned a lot about medical knowledge.
"Good!"
Ross reached out and pressed down on the lower half of Rouge's skirt, tearing it apart inch by inch.
With his current power, it would have been an incredibly simple thing for him to destroy the clothes without hurting Rouge.
Ross had anticipated the current situation, so he had Stella learn these kinds of skills, and with his assistance, there shouldn't have been any major problems.
They worked continuously until dark.
Ross had a baby in his arms, and Rouge had fallen into a deep sleep, though she didn't look too tired.
The Heal-Heal Fruit was incredibly powerful. Rouge, who was on the verge of death and barely clinging to life, had recovered most of her strength in an instant. However, her body was still somewhat deficient, and once it was replenished, she would be completely healed.
"Stella, you've worked hard."
Ross gently placed the baby on Rouge's bed, picked up Stella who was exhausted and slumped in a chair beside him, and walked towards the door.
Stella had been exhausted just now; the healing process had drained her life force, which was extremely taxing on her.
"It's alright. I'm very happy to have been able to save Rouge-neechan."
Although she was clearly exhausted, Stella still had a bright smile on her face.
She was a kind woman by nature, and even without Ross's instigation, she would have chosen to help Rouge just by hearing about her experiences.
"Your lost vitality will be replenished later; don't worry."
Ross gently ruffled Stella's golden hair, as if stroking a well-behaved kitten.
The empty houses around them had long been occupied by them. After leaving Rouge's house, Ross quickly went to the house across the street.
"Your Highness!"
Zane opened the door for Ross and followed respectfully beside him.
Since Ross had given her the authority to make the decision last time, she had changed how she addressed Ross.
"Is the matter resolved?"
After carrying Stella back to her bed in the bedroom, Ross looked at Zane and asked her a question.
"It's resolved. He didn't have time to report to Saint Saturn. Only the dead can keep secrets," Zane said softly.
Since Ross was willing to trust her, she would handle this matter well.
As for what happened next?
Ross was very satisfied with Zane's behavior; Zane was far superior to Guernika.
"Around Baterilla Island, he found a retired Marine Vice Admiral. The two clashed and died together," Zane said without changing her expression.
"Whose man is that Vice Admiral?" Ross raised an eyebrow.
A retired Vice Admiral—that was quite a sum.
"When Kong was still a Rear Admiral, the Vice Admiral was already a Vice Admiral. He once mentored Vice Admiral Garp in the Marines, and the two had a mentor-student relationship," Zane reported respectfully.
The Vice Admiral was very old and could no longer exert his full strength as a Vice Admiral, but he had once been a strongman. If he had launched a surprise attack, he could potentially have taken down CP0 together.
"Garp...?"
Ross nodded to indicate that he understood, and looked at Zephyr, who was sitting in the living room.
Without an Admiral-level protector by his side, Garp wouldn't have dared come to Baterilla Island.
After a day of rest, Zephyr had recovered to about 70% of his original strength.
"Saint Ross, there's no need to look at me."
Zephyr suddenly opened his eyes. Zane and Ross hadn't been trying to hide their conversation from him at all.
Or perhaps, after setting foot on the island, he had roughly guessed Ross's intentions.
Unexpectedly, the Pirate King Roger actually had bloodlines.
What was even more unexpected was that someone within the Marines was involved in this matter and knowingly failed to report it.
Roger was a villain who had started the Great Pirate Era. Would anyone in the Marines protect the bloodline of such a person?
"Garp had been chasing Roger for decades, and I suspect that he and Roger had a mutual respect for each other," Zephyr said bluntly.
He and Garp had a long-standing friendship, but he didn't quite like Garp's attitude.
His reckless and unruly attitude ran counter to his pursuit of justice.
Friendship was friendship, and stance was stance; Zephyr understood these distinctions.
...
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