One Piece: I'm not Roger

When Aether handed food to the two women, the Den Den Mushi rang again.

After connecting, it was not Charlotte Linlin, whom he had just hung up on, but Rayleigh's slightly weary voice.

"Roger, where have you reached? There are some matters on Dinghai Island that need you to handle."

"What matters need me to handle? Don't tell me Garp brought a few Marines over?"

At this moment, Aether genuinely could not think of anything that would make Rayleigh unable to decide, unless the World Government had mobilized its full force to attack.

Rayleigh sighed.

"Bullet just appeared, shouting that he wants to challenge you. He even said that if you are not there, he will destroy the Pirate Crew. He is truly too extreme right now."

Hearing Bullet's name, Aether frowned slightly. He had originally planned to look for Bullet sooner or later; in his mind, Bullet was a target worth recruiting. However, if Bullet caused heavy casualties on Dinghai Island, then for the sake of his subordinates, he could not simply let him go.

"Rayleigh, you couldn't stop Bullet?"

There was a faint trace of amusement in Rayleigh's reply.

"Haha, that's not it. With Shiki and me joining forces, that kid Bullet has already been captured. He's a prisoner now."

With two legendary pirates working together, even Bullet's strength made escape nearly impossible.

Through the Den Den Mushi, Aether could still hear Bullet's defiant roar in the background, mixed with Golden Lion Shiki's teasing laughter.

"I only lost because two shameless old geezers teamed up! I will never admit you're stronger than me! If you've got guts, let me go and fight me one-on-one!"

"Still acting arrogant, huh Bullet? I won't go easy on you."

"Damn you, Golden Lion! Take your dirty hand off my face!"

From the sounds alone, it was obvious Bullet was being thoroughly mocked by Shiki. Still, since he dared attack the base, a bit of suffering was well deserved. Back then, even after being defeated by Sengoku, he clearly hadn't learned his lesson.

"Oh? Is that so? Then I'll talk to him when I return."

"You should hurry. That kid Bullet is stubborn and won't listen to reason."

The Den Den Mushi then switched to Shiki's loud voice.

"Roger, when are you coming back? It's your turn to train those six little brats."

"Understood, Shiki. I'm on my way back."

Just as Aether thought the call was ending, the Den Den Mushi switched back to Rayleigh.

"There's one more thing you need to decide. Nekomamushi, Inuarashi, and Oden's daughter Hiyori have arrived here. Nekomamushi and Inuarashi didn't say much, but Hiyori came requesting help to liberate Wano Country. I didn't agree. It would disrupt the plan."

"…"

Three more unexpected guests.

As kings of the Mink Tribe, Nekomamushi and Inuarashi would not act without reason, but Kozuki Hiyori was harder to judge.

Aether thought for a moment.

"Oden's daughter, Kozuki Hiyori… I see. Then I'll reject her when I return. Rayleigh, you just don't want to be the one playing the villain."

"It's your plan. You bear the responsibility. I'm already an old man; I don't want to be the one rejecting juniors."

Aether was speechless.

After eating two of his longevity pills, he still dared call himself an old man.

As for Kozuki Hiyori, Aether recalled the little girl from memory. Roger used to lift her high into the air, and she would tug at his beard while laughing. As for Momonosuke, that name was already long erased from his consideration.

Wano Country would be occupied sooner or later. The rare Sea Prism Stone mines alone made it valuable.

Even if he conquered Wano, he had no intention of returning it to the Kozuki family. His impression of the remaining members of that family was not favorable.

Kozuki Sukiyaki, hiding in the shadows. Kozuki Momonosuke, who would likely die the moment he met danger. And Kozuki Hiyori…

According to Aether's memory, she was no simple, naive princess. She was a scheming and dangerous woman who could not be underestimated.

Aether answered while slightly annoyed.

"I understand. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up."

"Wait, there's one more thing," Rayleigh added.

Aether's expression stiffened.

Rayleigh continued.

"Hancock was confirmed pregnant a few days ago. Rouge has had red hair for several days now. And Hina seems to be in a very bad mood. It's not good for an expectant mother to be like that, so you'll have to handle it yourself. A man who plays around too much won't end well."

The news hit Aether like a bolt of lightning.

Hancock was pregnant.

So the tension he had sensed from the women recently was not his imagination at all.

A storm was already forming over Dinghai Island.

Thinking of what awaited him, Aether felt a chill crawl up his spine.

There were already five powder kegs on his territory.

He subconsciously glanced at Robin and Shyarly chatting nearby and briefly considered the possibility of being blown to pieces the moment he returned.

Without hesitation, Aether stopped Rayleigh from hanging up.

"Rayleigh, I just remembered something. Linlin invited me to her daughter's wedding tea party, so I won't be returning for now. Also, the last historian, Robin, and Shyarly are coming to Dinghai Island. Arrange things for them."

The Den Den Mushi's expression immediately turned sour.

"Hey, hey, are you planning to run away?"

Shiki's voice followed immediately after.

"Roger, you coward! A woman getting angry can be handled with a beating. And I'm not teaching those six brats anymore!"

Aether replied without hesitation.

"Shiki, if you help me, I'll give you a bottle of longevity wine that extends life by three years. If you refuse, I'll give it to someone else."

Silence.

Even through the Den Den Mushi, Aether could hear Shiki grinding his teeth.

After a moment, Shiki finally spoke.

"…Fine. I'll cover for you for half a month."

"Deal."

"Half a month only. If you're still not back after that, you'll see what happens when Rayleigh and I team up."

"That's right, Roger. Being irresponsible has consequences."

"Understood. Also, make sure they don't meet each other for now."

Click.

The call ended.

Aether exhaled slowly, feeling more exhausted than after an actual battle. If Rayleigh and Shiki truly joined forces, even among Emperors and Admirals, few could match them.

Soon after, he explained the arrangements to Robin and Shyarly. Robin would first examine the historical documents stored on Dinghai Island, including Whitebeard's collection.

As for Shyarly, she would explore the New World as she had wished since leaving Fish-Man Island.