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Baterilla Island:
Rob suddenly appeared in an art store on this autumnal island, having left the care of his daughters to Olivia and his other wives.
"What's the matter, Shanks?"
As he was about to leave the art store, Shanks stood in his way.
Shanks was holding a volume of the Summit War, open to one of Ace's flashbacks.
"Forgive me, elder brother, I wanted to ask you a question," Shanks said awkwardly.
Hearing that, Rob smiled and gave him the go-ahead. "Of course, go ahead, you can ask me anything."
"It seems the volume is still midway through... I want to know if my counterpart will have a role in this war... I mean, a more influential and practical role than just stopping Kaido from affecting this war." It was clear this was what was bothering Shanks.
"Do you really want to know?" Rob patted Shanks' shoulder as he was about to leave.
Shanks nodded repeatedly in confirmation.
"Well, since you want to know this badly, I'll tell you. The Red-Haired Pirates wi–" Before Rob could finish what he wanted to say, someone interrupted him.
"Rob-san, please wait..." The person who said that was Rayleigh.
Next to Rayleigh stood Shakuyaku with a beautiful smile on her face, having arrived not long ago after finishing her business in Ohara and Amazon Lily.
"Hmm! Rayleigh? Let me guess, you don't want to hear it, right?"
Rob looked at Shanks and then at the rest of Roger's pirates. "Strength in numbers, kid... you have to wait to find out what happens next."
After saying that, Rob left the art store, leaving Shanks sighing in disappointment, which quickly faded as he returned to enjoy the manga events again.
...
After leaving the art store, Rob walked briskly towards the place where he sensed both Roger and Rouge's presence, which was definitely the couple's house.
Back to where Roger and Rouge were, the couple was completely engrossed in the chapter's events, as if they were completely disconnected from reality.
•———•———•———•———•
*Chapter's Events:*
—————————
With the sound of explosions and the intensifying war, Ace's body trembled as he tried to bury his head in the platform again.
"What's the matter... Fire Fist...!!?" This caught Sengoku's attention, who asked him.
"Hm?" The same went for Garp, who sensed his mood from under the platform.
(Ace...)
...
"...!!"
("Gol D. Roger? You mean Gold Roger? Do I know about him...?")
At this moment, distant memories from his childhood echoed in Ace's mind.
("Do you know why so many people are hurt by pirates!?")
"It's all Gold Roger's fault!"
Standing before a group of delinquent youths, younger Ace, about 9 or 10 years old, listened with a deadpan expression.
"He's someone who shouldn't have been born."
The youth in front continued speaking frankly about his opinion of Roger.
"He's an unbelievable piece of trash!! He caused trouble when he was alive. And caused even more when he died!!"
"Remember this: He's the worst scum in the world!!!"
Hearing that, young Ace's nerves tensed, and he seemed to become very angry.
"What!? Hey!! Why are you getting mad!!?"
"Who are you, runt!!?"
"Gyaaaah!!!"
...
("What did you do when you went into town!? Ace!!")
Another familiar voice echoed in Ace's mind, this time it was his second mother, the woman who raised him.
("They're saying a kid almost killed some delinquents in town... It's a huge mess!!")
The sound of the war below mixed with the woman's voice in his head.
Then he heard his own voice as a child responding to the woman:
("Oh... I thought they were actually dead.")
("What!!?") she exclaimed.
...
"You want to know about Roger?"
...
"Roger!? Don't even mention that damn name, Kid!!"
Every time Ace asked about his father's name, his face darkened and became more somber with each similar answer he received.
...
"Buwahahaha!! Hey Ace, I've heard you've been causing some trouble!!"
Garp reached Ace's hiding place by the sea, laughing his usual laugh before saying that.
"...! Gramps... Do you have any grandkids... Are they... happy?" he asked.
"Yeah, his name's Luffy, I think? He's being raised well," replied Garp.
"Gramps..."
"Yeah?"
Young Ace's voice seemed to become lower and lower, but the last words he said to his grandfather echoed strongly in Ace's current mind.
("Should I... Have Been Born...?")
As did his grandfather's words,
("Keep on living... and you'll find out.")
•———•———•———•———•
Roger and Rouge emerged from their immersion in this scene and its details after the flashback ended.
The couple looked at each other, tears welling up in their eyes.
Roger gently raised his hand and wiped the tear line from Rouge's cheek to the corner of her eye.
The gentle freckles on her face looked like grains of golden sand, making her more beautiful and unique than other women.
Rouge did the same, wiping away the tear of this tough man who had never cried before. This was the first time she saw him shed a genuine tear of emotion.
Sensing her gentle hand on his cheek, Roger held it and took a deep breath, regaining his cheerful smile before saying,
"I somehow expected my son to have such an explosive temper in his childhood... it's exactly like me when I was a kid."
"Pfft..." Rouge laughed softly upon hearing that.
Then she said, "I can imagine that. I too would have gone mad if someone talked badly about my father in front of me when I was a child."
"Wahaha! They got what they deserved. He inherited my strength, so even as a child, he's very dangerous. They're lucky he didn't kill them as he thought." Roger laughed.
"Well, at least he didn't hate me for no reason... it turns out now that he saw the world's impression of his evil father, which even made him question whether it was right for him to be born into this world..."
"Oh, how I wish I could appear before this child and hug him and tell him the answer to that question."
"I have the same desire, and I would be more gentle with the child than you~"
"Wahahaha! Anyway, it seems that Garp was present, but he's a big fool and doesn't know how to deal with children."
"Keep on living and you'll find out...? Why are you so mysterious with a child, you fool? Don't you see he needs much more than those words?"
"Well, what if I gave you two the chance to fulfill this desire?"
With a smile on his face, Roger, who already sensed Rob's arrival, turned around.
Rouge was more surprised by Rob's words than by his sudden arrival, which they were used to after all.
"I would do anything to get such a chance."
Roger said with great determination as Rouge nodded with rising excitement.
"But that will have to wait until we finish reading the volume."
"I still need to know the answer he will get to his question... after all, my son must be convinced and proud of his birth in this world."
"Should you have been born? Of course, you should! You are my son! Gol D. Roger!"
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 735: Decisive Akainu!
Chapter 736: The Pride of Whitebeard.
Chapter 737: Luffy's Conqueror's Haki Sweeps Marineford!
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