One Piece: I'm not Roger

Betty suddenly walked up to Augustus D. Aether, her usual stern demeanor shifting into something unexpectedly friendly. She wanted to gauge just how much Augustus D. Aether truly knew about the Revolutionary Army.

"It seems Roger-sama is very well-informed about the Revolutionary Army. I wonder if you also know about our Chief of Staff? He actually has a bit of a connection with you."

Aether gave her a strange look. What a peculiar woman. Just moments ago, she had been cold and distant, yet now she was acting like a friendly older sister from next door.

However, when it came to Sabo's origins, he happened to know quite a bit.

"Oh, you mean Sabo. That little fellow from the Goa Kingdom in the East Blue. As the sworn brother of Ace and Luffy, he does have a connection to me. I quite admire his strength and character. Though I'm more interested in when he reunites with that scumbag brother of his. I heard his brother's fiancée is the Princess of the Goa Kingdom."

Upon hearing Aether calmly state Sabo's origins, Betty's expression behind her sunglasses flickered.

This level of detail far exceeded her expectations. She had assumed Aether might only know intelligence from the past five years since Sabo's rise. Instead, he appeared to know even his childhood background.

One must remember, Sabo only regained his memories two months ago after witnessing Ace's execution during the Marineford War.

Betty quickly continued her questioning, hoping for a less concerning answer, but reality rarely aligned with expectations.

"Then do you know of the Shichibukai, Tyrant Kuma?"

The second question made Aether immediately realize Betty was probing him for intelligence.

A faint, meaningful expression crossed his face. Since the Revolutionary Army was so interested in his information network, he would oblige them, just a little.

"Monkey D. Dragon's partner, Tyrant Kuma? Of course. One of the founders of the Revolutionary Army. I heard the reason he became a Shichibukai was to get close to Vegapunk and to protect his country and Bonney. However, his current situation is grim. He has already been turned into a half machine, neither fully human nor fully alive."

As he spoke, Aether recalled Kuma's future and something Bonney had told him during their parting at Fish-Man Island.

Back then, Bonney had looked at him with a sorrowful expression.

"Aether… Captain, can you help me rescue my father?"

His answer had been simple.

"Of course."

Just not yet.

After all, Kuma was currently in the Holy Land Mary Geoise, and he was not yet ready to step into the city where Imu resided.

If he were to be surrounded by Imu and those Five Elders, the situation would become extremely dangerous. Although he did not yet know their full strength, caution was the only rational stance.

Kuma would have to endure a little longer. Otherwise, rescuing him in a mindless state would fail to meet Bonney's expectations.

Betty, meanwhile, was unaware that Aether's thoughts had drifted elsewhere.

Every piece of intelligence he provided aligned too precisely with reality, making her expression grow increasingly grave. Not only did he know Sabo's hidden past, he even knew details she herself had never learned.

Just how deep was this pirate's intelligence network?

Did he also know the secrets Dragon kept buried?

That possibility made Betty increasingly uneasy. Unknown variables were the most dangerous. If they ever became enemies, the Revolutionary Army would be at a severe disadvantage.

She still remembered what Monkey D. Dragon had once said. Even pirates with relatively neutral stances, like Whitebeard and Shanks, might one day become enemies of the Revolutionary Army. And Aether, who radiated far more aggression, made conflict feel even more likely.

Aether, however, did not notice her rising tension. He was simply demonstrating his intelligence reach, hoping to pressure the Revolutionary Army enough that Monkey D. Dragon would eventually come to him personally, saving him the trouble of traveling.

Around them, the others quietly processed what had been said. Some higher ranking Revolutionary Army members were hearing Sabo's and Kuma's details for the first time. Robin and Vice Commander Ashiru quickly noticed the subtle shift in atmosphere but chose not to interfere, observing in silence instead.

Betty's chest rose and fell as she steadied herself. In her eyes, the man before her had become genuinely dangerous, someone who seemed to see through everything.

That conclusion made her overlook a simpler possibility. Perhaps he simply knew these things by coincidence. If she pressed further, she might even expose gaps in his knowledge.

To avoid taking that risk, Betty shifted strategies.

Her expression changed once more, becoming almost playful as she swayed slightly forward. Her tone softened, carrying deliberate charm.

"I didn't expect Roger-sama to know so much. You really are an exceptional man. How about we have a drink together tonight?"

Aether glanced at her, assessing the sudden shift in tone.

She certainly had the figure and confidence to make such an offer. Even so, her approach was far too direct to be subtle.

Before anyone could react further, Mori quietly covered his face, clearly unable to watch.

"I think I'll pass. I'll be busy tonight."

Betty froze.

The refusal came too quickly, too cleanly.

For someone confident in her appearance, being turned down without hesitation felt less like rejection and more like dismissal.

Still, she refused to back down. Suppressing her irritation, she stepped closer and suddenly clung to his arm, pressing in deliberately as she leaned toward his ear.

"There might be some interesting developments later."

The scene drew immediate silence from the room.

Aether, expression unchanged, gently placed a hand on her shoulder and removed her from his arm.

"Ms. Betty, please respect yourself. You are not my type."

That final rejection stiffened her entire body.

Her composed façade finally cracked.

With a sharp breath, she snapped back, her tone edged with irritation.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. I wouldn't even look twice at a man like you. Walking around shirtless in this freezing weather, you're probably the pervert here."

"…"

Aether glanced at her, unimpressed.

He had expected better restraint from someone in her position.

Still, he could not ignore the irony.

Betty's outfit was hardly conservative.

Short purple bob hair with blunt bangs, a red top hat with goggles, trailing tassels, burgundy sunglasses. A red bolero jacket marked "BELO," worn open without restraint, a tie, gloves, striped stockings, boots, and a cigarette hanging from her lips.

In any reasonable standard, her appearance was far more eccentric than his.

He replied without hesitation.

"I don't know if I'm a pervert, but you might want to reflect on that statement. Dressing like that in freezing conditions, and calling others suspicious? It is difficult to decide which of us is more unreasonable."

"You…"

Betty looked down at her outfit, then back at him, momentarily speechless.

Her cigarette slipped from her lips and fell to the floor as she stepped forward in frustration.

If she were not certain she could not win against him, she would have already acted.

The tension between them lingered in the air.