One Piece: I'm not Roger

Inside the silent room, Augustus D. Aether remained seated in place. Akainu's words continued echoing through his mind.

Hina was pregnant?

Could the child truly be his?

Was it really possible to succeed in one attempt like that?

Still, for a man like him, it was not impossible.

Aether slowly organized his chaotic thoughts. If this was not a lie, then the child in Hina's womb was most likely his. Hina was not the type of woman to casually involve herself with strangers, nor did she have a romantic partner.

(Bro you were a stranger to her 😭.)

That left only one possibility.

Of course, there was still an extremely tiny chance the child was not his, but Aether dismissed it almost immediately.

The World Government's so called protection was nothing more than disguised imprisonment. The Five Elders already knew he had abducted Hina before, so using the unborn child against him was the obvious choice.

Thinking of this, Aether muttered to himself softly.

"This really is troublesome... but I cannot ignore them, mother and child. After all, it is my blood."

If he truly wanted to save them, then he could not completely cut ties with Akainu yet. At least not until he gained another reliable source of information.

Originally, he had planned to make use of her position until the Marines officially chose the next Fleet Admiral. Unfortunately, things had developed in a direction he did not expect.

Remembering Akainu's tone during their conversation, Aether narrowed his eyes slightly.

Perhaps she wanted him to lower his head and beg.

Although Aether had inherited Whitebeard's intelligence network, including several spies hidden within the Marines, the highest ranked infiltrator was only a Headquarters Lieutenant Colonel. Someone at that level could never access information involving the World Government's deepest secrets.

After thinking through all his possible connections, Aether's expression shifted repeatedly.

Part of him felt genuinely happy.

After all, this was the first time he had truly learned he might have another child. Ace was already twenty one years old now.

But another part of him felt a headache coming.

He could already imagine the chaos that would erupt once Hancock and Rouge learned about Hina's pregnancy.

That disaster was something he would have to handle personally. Rayleigh would only sit back and laugh while watching the drama unfold.

Aether rubbed his forehead helplessly.

"As expected, failing to control desires always comes with consequences."

...

Wano Country, Flower Capital.

This was the most prosperous region in all of Wano, and also the residence of the current Shogun, Kurozumi Orochi.

The Flower Capital earned its name from the cherry blossoms that bloomed throughout every season. Yet beneath its glamorous appearance lay corruption and suffering.

Ever since Kaido executed Kozuki Oden and placed Orochi on the throne, Wano had fallen completely into darkness.

Weapons factories rose across the nation one after another. Rivers and farmland became polluted by industrial waste, causing crops to fail and drinking water to become poisonous. Diseases spread rapidly among civilians, while starvation and death became an everyday reality.

For more than a decade, the country had endured endless misery.

Everything Kaido and Orochi did served one purpose, wealth.

The Beasts Pirates needed massive resources to support their ambitions.

Inside the grand palace hall of the Flower Capital, a banquet was being held to celebrate Kaido's return.

Music echoed throughout the hall while dancers performed elegantly beneath the bright lights. The atmosphere appeared lively and luxurious.

Kaido occupied the main seat.

Beside him sat Orochi, the All Stars, and many high ranking members of the Beasts Pirates.

At the center of the hall, over a dozen courtesans danced gracefully.

Among them, one woman stood out far above the rest.

Her long emerald green hair shimmered beneath the lights, making her resemble a noble princess among commoners.

Her beautiful face carried a naturally seductive smile, while her graceful figure gave off an unusual combination of elegance and temptation.

Pink flowers decorated her hairpiece, and her luxurious kimono only enhanced her beauty further.

As she waved her paper fan and danced gracefully, countless men inside the hall stared at her with obsession.

Queen and Orochi were the most obvious.

Their eyes practically glued themselves to her body.

"Komurasaki truly deserves her reputation."

"No wonder she's called the greatest beauty in Wano."

"I would give anything to have her."

Once the dance ended, Komurasaki calmly approached Kaido and sat beside him.

Normally, that position belonged to Black Maria.

Unfortunately for Kaido, Black Maria had already left the Beasts Pirates.

Just thinking about it made his mood worsen again.

After returning to Wano, Kaido discovered not only that Black Maria had been taken away, but another member of the Tobiroppo had also abandoned the crew.

The situation had nearly driven him into a rage.

However, after hearing Queen's report, Kaido found no suitable reason to start a direct war.

Even Charlotte Linlin showed little interest when he brought up the idea of another alliance.

Komurasaki suppressed her seductive aura and gently served Kaido like a refined noblewoman.

"Lord Kaido, this is Wano's famous blue fin tuna sashimi. Please enjoy it."

Kaido grabbed a large wine gourd and drank heavily before casually knocking away the plate she offered him.

"I don't like this kind of food."

Komurasaki lowered her head slightly.

"I understand, Lord Kaido."

Her pitiful expression could have softened almost any man's heart.

Unfortunately, Kaido remained completely indifferent.

To him, beauty alone held little value.

In this world, only strength truly mattered.

Power could grant wealth, status, and endless women whenever desired.

Komurasaki continued pouring wine obediently, but hidden deep within her eyes was hatred no one noticed.

As the banquet continued late into the night, Orochi's drunken face gradually twisted into a smug grin.

He looked toward Kaido and laughed arrogantly.

"Hic... Kaido, I heard you lost to Gol D. Roger and were even captured by him. If I hadn't spent money to bring you back, who knows whether you'd still be alive today? You should be thanking me."

The entire hall instantly fell silent.

The atmosphere froze.

Even the dancers stopped moving.

Everyone stared at Orochi in disbelief.

Although Orochi had contributed most of the ransom money this time, everyone understood the truth.

He was merely a puppet Shogun.

Without Kaido's support, he was nothing.

Several of Orochi's own subordinates nearly collapsed from fear.

Had their Shogun truly gone insane from drinking?

Cracking sounds echoed throughout the hall as members of the Beasts Pirates rose from their seats one after another.

Their expressions became murderous instantly.

Before anyone else could move, Kaido's enormous figure already stood before Orochi.

His massive hand grabbed Orochi by the head.

The terrifying grip made Orochi scream miserably.

"AHHH! Let go of me! I am the great Shogun of Wano!"

Seeing their leader on the verge of death, a tall monk with long earlobes and sunglasses quickly stepped forward.

He was the captain of the Oniwabanshu, Fukurokuju.