One Piece: I'm not Roger

The exchange between the two women gave Aether a terrible premonition. He immediately shot Marco and Golden Lion Shiki a look, signaling for help.

Unfortunately, both of them acted like it had nothing to do with them, making Aether extremely irritated.

If they were not going to help, then they should just leave. Were they not afraid he would settle the score with them later for standing there enjoying the drama?

As the atmosphere became increasingly tense, Aether could only force himself to explain.

"This is my wife, Rouge, Ace's mother. And this is Hina, the mother of my child."

The awkward explanation immediately earned him a glare from Rouge.

After hearing Rouge's name, Hina instantly understood that she was Roger's legitimate wife. The heroic Marine officer who usually carried herself with confidence suddenly lost her composure, looking uneasy like someone caught in the wrong place.

"Hello, Rouge. There's nothing between Roger and me, it's just..."

Before she could finish, Rouge stepped forward and gently embraced her.

"I know. This is all Roger's fault. I already understand what happened between the two of you. The wind outside is strong, and it is not good for your condition right now. Let's head to the cabin and talk."

Watching Rouge lead Hina away from the deck, Aether immediately let out a breath of relief.

Only the loud laughter of Golden Lion Shiki, who had been enjoying the entire scene from the side, made him even more annoyed. Recently, the old pirate had become strangely interested in Aether's personal affairs.

Fortunately, Rouge was still the gentle and considerate woman he knew. If it had been Boa Hancock instead, Aether did not even want to imagine what kind of disaster would have happened.

At that moment, the den den mushi in his pocket suddenly rang.

After answering, the person on the other end spoke only one sentence before hanging up.

"You owe me a favor."

"..."

Golden Lion Shiki, who had overheard the conversation, immediately became curious.

"Roger, who was that? They do not seem to respect you at all. Want me to teach them a lesson?"

Aether glared at the old lion.

"Old man, mind your own business. That was another one of my women. Get lost."

Golden Lion Shiki burst into laughter before finally walking away.

Afterward, Aether silently wondered what Akainu meant by making him owe her a favor. Still, she had indeed helped him this time, so owing her something small was reasonable enough.

"Help her kill Aokiji? Forget it. I'll think about it if she actually asks."

Right now, his biggest headache was still the two women on this ship.

Whether peace could be maintained tonight depended entirely on Rouge.

Night arrived quickly.

Before Aether could even rest, Rouge suddenly pushed him onto the bed with surprising force. The pink-haired woman clearly intended to punish this man who kept attracting women everywhere he went.

"Rouge, calm down a little. Your body might not handle this."

"Shut up, you bastard!"

Her furious voice echoed through the room.

In the cabin next door, Hina lay awake all night while listening to the noise through the walls. The sounds constantly reminded her of a certain unforgettable night, making her face grow hotter and hotter beneath the blanket.

The next morning, Aether carefully moved Rouge's exhausted body aside before getting out of bed.

Although she had started aggressively, her stamina had clearly failed halfway through. In the end, she could only cling to him while tearfully begging him to stop.

"Trying to act fierce despite not being able to handle it."

After getting dressed, Aether headed toward the dining room.

There, he saw Hina sitting quietly at the table with dark circles under her eyes. The moment she noticed him, she shot him a resentful glare.

Aether wisely chose not to ask whether she had slept well.

He simply sat beside her and ate breakfast in silence.

After a while, Hina suddenly spoke first.

"What are you planning to do with me? Keep me beside you like some pet canary?"

Aether stopped eating and answered seriously.

"I will not force you to stay beside me. You can go wherever you want. As for the child, everything depends on your decision. If you do not want to raise the baby, you can leave the child to me."

[S-Class Character Hina has generated negative emotions toward the Host: Low-Level Anger. Reward: 1000 EXP.]

"..."

Seeing Hina suddenly stand up, Aether instantly realized he had said the wrong thing.

Without thinking further, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace.

This time, Hina did not struggle. She only stared at him with confused eyes.

Being looked at like that made Aether feel strangely pressured, so he followed his instincts and spoke in a firm tone.

"What I said earlier was nonsense. I nearly started a war with the Marines because of you. You are my baby's mama, my woman. I will not imprison you, and I will not restrict your freedom, but no matter where you go, I will always support you."

Smack!

A loud slap echoed through the dining room.

Hina immediately broke free from his embrace and fled the room, leaving Aether sitting there with a red handprint on his face.

He had not defended himself at all. In fact, he had even relaxed his muscles so she could hit him comfortably.

Because the system notification appeared again.

[S-Class Character Hina has generated positive emotions toward the Host: Medium Friendliness. Reward: 2000 EXP.]

Aether rubbed his cheek helplessly.

"Women really are impossible to understand."

Still, Medium Friendliness already meant she trusted him deeply.

Maybe tonight would go more smoothly.

On the second night of the journey, Aether stood outside Hina's room and knocked on the door.

The moment it opened, he immediately wrapped an arm around her waist and carried her onto the bed.

Their eyes met in the dim room.

Aether could clearly feel the warmth of her soft body beneath him, while Hina avoided his burning gaze with embarrassment.

His expression at this moment was exactly the same as that unforgettable night when he had completely claimed her.

Aether leaned beside her ear and whispered softly,

"Mother of my child, it's late. We should sleep."

The intimate words instantly made Hina's face turn crimson.

"Go away, I'm not going to..."

Before she could finish, Aether kissed her deeply, completely swallowing the rest of her words.

Soon, the familiar sounds of intimacy echoed throughout the dark room once more.

The next morning, Aether pressed his ear against Hina's slightly raised stomach, trying to feel the life growing inside her.

Unfortunately, the child was still only a two-month-old embryo. Naturally, he could not hear anything.

Meanwhile, Hina remained asleep after being thoroughly exhausted the previous night.

A few days later, Aether separated from the fleet instead of returning to the base on Dinghai Island.

After spending several peaceful days with Rouge and Hina aboard the ship, he left alone to handle several matters personally.

Within the Calm Belt, Aether finally stepped onto the familiar shores of Amazon Lily once again.

Before he could even look around properly, a beautiful figure suddenly rushed forward and threw herself into his arms. Long black hair brushed gently across his face as her soft body pressed tightly against him.

"Aether, I missed you so much. Have you been eating properly? You look thinner than before."

Her worried voice carried obvious affection.

Aether wrapped his arms around Hancock and inhaled her familiar fragrance before smiling softly.

"I missed you too, Hancock. But honestly, you're the one who became thinner."

Not seeing him for over a month had clearly affected Hancock greatly. Even though they frequently communicated through den den mushi calls, it was nowhere near enough to ease her longing.

This time, Aether had come with a clear purpose.

Without warning, he lifted Hancock into the air and spun her around, causing the Pirate Empress to let out a startled cry before he kissed her deeply.

After a long moment, Aether looked directly into her eyes and spoke seriously.

"Hancock, I came here to take you with me. Stay by my side forever."

Not far away, Elder Nyon, Gloriosa, immediately changed expression after hearing those words.

===

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