One Piece: I'm not Roger

Aether did not know whether Miss Buckingham Stussy had truly shared a relationship with Whitebeard in their younger days.

What he did know was that both of them had once sailed under the Rocks Pirates, and Bakkin clearly carried feelings for Whitebeard back then. In her youth, she had been an exceptional beauty, so it was difficult to say whether Whitebeard had ever been tempted.

Still, her appearance was not the only thing worthy of praise.

Bakkin was also one of the top researchers in the field of lineage factors.

The reason Edward Weevil possessed strength comparable to a young Whitebeard likely had a direct connection to her research.

In Aether's eyes, lineage factor research was extremely valuable.

Vegapunk's artificial Devil Fruits, along with the Seraphim human weapons, were all tied to the study of lineage factors. If those Seraphim could truly be mass-produced within two years, they would become a terrifying military force capable of shaking even the World Government itself.

Unfortunately, Aether was not a scientist.

Nor did he have any top-tier researchers under his command. Otherwise, he would have targeted Vegapunk's technology long ago.

Aside from his interest in lineage factors, Bakkin and her foolish son meant very little to him as long as they stayed out of his way.

Whether Bakkin would still attempt to claim Whitebeard's inheritance under the current circumstances was unclear, but she was smart enough to understand the consequences of provoking the wrong people.

As for the person in this world who would care most about Edward Weevil's existence, it was probably only that old Marine who wanted to tear him into pieces.

After all, Edward Weevil had slaughtered nearly all of Zephyr's beloved students and even severed one of his arms.

Black Arm Zephyr.

The former Marine Admiral once known as the "No-Kill Admiral."

Fate had truly treated him cruelly.

During the first half of his life, Zephyr showed mercy toward pirates and refused to kill them, only for pirates to later murder his entire family in retaliation.

Afterward, he devoted himself completely to training the next generation of Marines, only for Edward Weevil to massacre almost all his students.

And now, the World Government had gone so far as to recruit that very same murderer into the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

It was no different from trampling on the justice Zephyr had protected his entire life.

Aether recalled Roger's past encounters with Zephyr from inherited memories.

Although Zephyr's peak combat ability ranked among the weaker Admirals, far below monsters like Garp or Sengoku, neither Roger nor Aether ever looked down on him.

On the contrary, they respected the man greatly.

Aether sighed softly.

"Zephyr, you've grown old. That's why the Gorosei discarded you so easily."

"If you still possessed the strength of your prime, those five old bastards wouldn't dare ignore your feelings."

Zephyr's tragic life only stirred slight emotion within Aether.

What truly amused him was Buggy becoming one of the Seven Warlords.

He genuinely had not expected Akainu to honor their agreement and push Buggy into the position.

Back when Akainu was still a man in another timeline, cooperating with pirates would have been absolutely impossible.

If a pirate had tried negotiating with him back then, it would only have ended in a magma-covered fist smashing through their skull.

But this cooperation benefited both sides.

According to intelligence left behind by Whitebeard's spy within Marine Headquarters, Akainu's reputation had already skyrocketed after the battle where she repelled Aether.

Originally, the impact had been limited because no meaningful victory came from it.

However, everything changed after the news spread that Aether had captured Kaido.

The alliance with Golden Lion Shiki had been completely erased from the reports, but just the idea of Roger defeating Kaido alone was enough to shake the entire sea.

The Marines were already at one of their weakest points in years. They could not allow panic to spread further.

As a result, the World Government deliberately pushed propaganda claiming Kaido had become weaker over the years.

Combined with Silvers Rayleigh forcing the Big Mom Pirates to retreat on the western battlefield, Aether's prestige once again reached unprecedented heights.

Ironically, that only magnified Akainu's own achievements.

Now, within Marine Headquarters, Akainu's reputation had almost reached the level of a living legend. She had completely surpassed Aokiji and was steadily becoming the most likely candidate to inherit Sengoku's position as Fleet Admiral.

Rumors even claimed that Akainu had recently begun openly pressuring Aokiji.

Originally, Aokiji believed the Fleet Admiral position was already his by default, but recent events had shaken that confidence badly.

The two Admirals had already started clashing openly within Marineford.

There were even voices spreading throughout the Marines suggesting the two should settle things through a decisive duel, with the victor becoming the next Fleet Admiral.

The speed at which those rumors spread was suspiciously fast.

Even Sengoku seemed unable to suppress them.

Aether did not need evidence to guess who was behind it.

Akainu's methods were obvious enough.

Smiling faintly, Aether picked up a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number he had never contacted before.

After several seconds, a cold female voice echoed from the other side.

"This is Admiral Akainu speaking. Identify yourself."

Aether chuckled lightly.

"Admiral Akainu, your memory really is terrible. I'm the poor pirate you supposedly drove away."

The moment his voice sounded, the Den Den Mushi's expression instantly changed.

Its eyes narrowed sharply into fierce phoenix-like slits filled with killing intent.

Aether found it strangely amusing.

He casually flicked the Den Den Mushi's forehead, causing the terrified creature to shrink back into its shell as though begging not to be dragged into the conflict.

A moment later, the snail cautiously peeked back out.

Akainu's icy voice followed soon after.

"Roger... you actually dared to contact me?"

"So what if I did?" Aether replied lazily. "Didn't our previous cooperation go rather smoothly? I was thinking we could continue working together in the future."

"Impossible."

Akainu rejected him instantly.

"We will never cooperate again. Give up on that idea."

Aether smiled, seemingly unsurprised.

"What if I offer my sincerity first?"

He leaned back in his chair while speaking casually.

"For example, if you tell me Aokiji's location, Rayleigh and I can eliminate him for you. That way, you'll no longer have any competition for Fleet Admiral."

Silence.

The Den Den Mushi's expression became colder and colder.

Even through the call, Aether could practically feel the pressure radiating from Akainu.

Soon after, a system notification appeared.

[SS-rank character Akainu generated moderate anger toward the Host. Reward: 20,000 EXP]

Aether almost laughed.

Moderate anger?

That woman was probably furious enough to erupt like a volcano already.

Finally, Akainu's voice exploded through the Den Den Mushi like boiling magma.

"Roger, what kind of person do you think I am?"

"I will never betray justice through such filthy methods just to become Fleet Admiral."

"If I become Fleet Admiral, it will be through my own strength and achievements."

Aether listened quietly.

If they had not cooperated previously, he might have actually believed her words.

"What a shame," Aether replied with a smile. "Still, are you really refusing future cooperation? Sometimes it's useful having pirates handle the dirty work for you."

His tone was tempting.

Like a devil whispering beside her ear.

Unfortunately, Akainu immediately saw through his intentions.

"I said no."

"I do not need pirates, and I never will."

Just as Aether assumed the conversation was over, Akainu suddenly spoke again.

This time, her tone carried an oddly playful laziness.

"Roger, even though we won't cooperate anymore, I can still give you a free piece of information."

Aether narrowed his eyes slightly.

"What information?"

"Marine Commodore Hina is pregnant."

The moment those words fell, Aether's smile vanished.

Akainu continued slowly, clearly enjoying his reaction.

"She's currently under World Government protection."

"Tell me, Roger... who do you think the father is?"

Silence filled the room.

Aether's mind went completely blank.

By the time he regained his senses and prepared to question her further, the Den Den Mushi had already disconnected.

"Beep... Beep..."

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