章 22: Helplessness

Rouge's heart raced with anticipation as they made their way deeper into the hideout. She couldn't wait to see her son again, to hold him and tell him how much she loved him.

Finally, they reached the room where Ace was staying. Dadan stood outside, arms crossed over her chest, as Rouge and Garp entered the room. Ace was sitting on the floor, playing with the bandits, and looked up as they entered.

"Ace-Chaan Grandpaa Garp is here!!" Garp said while making funny faces.

Baby Ace immediately stopped playing and came crawling towards Garp and Rouge making 'Goo goo gaa gaa' noises. Rouge was overwhelmed with emotions after seeing her son again. She scooped him up into her arms and held him tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"Ace, my sweet boy, I've missed you so much," she whispered, planting kisses on his forehead.

Ace looked up at her with his big, curious eyes, seemingly unaware of the gravity of the situation. He reached up to touch her face, his tiny fingers exploring her features as she held him close. Rouge couldn't believe how perfect he was, how innocent and full of energy. She felt a rush of love for him, a fierce protectiveness that she knew would never fade.

Ace, for his part, seemed content to be in her arms. He cooed and babbled, and Rouge listened to him, smiling at his baby talk and feeling grateful for this moment of peace amidst all the chaos of the world outside. And Ace seemed to sense her love and care, though he could not yet understand her words.

Garp watched the emotional scene with a heavy heart. He knew that this reunion was long overdue and that Rouge had suffered immensely in her efforts to keep her sons safe.

"What do you plan to do now Rouge?" Dadan asked, breaking the silence in the room.

Rouge looked up, her expression serious.

"You mind if I stay here? I want to stay close to Ace and watch him grow up."

Dadan raised an eyebrow, surprised by Rouge's request.

"You want to stay here? With us?" she asked, her tone sceptical.

Rouge nodded, "I can't keep running forever, Dadan. I want to do my role as a mother and be there for him when he needs me the most."

Dadan looked at Rouge for a moment before nodding.

"All right, We could use another set of hands around here anyway. But you'll have to earn your keep. We don't tolerate freeloaders."

Rouge smiled gratefully. "I understand, Thank you, Dadan, Garp."

Garp smiled back at her. "It's good to have you here, Rouge. Ace will be so happy to have you close by."

***

Meanwhile in West Blue:

Nova just finished his breakfast in the café, on the second day of his journey he became a wanted 'criminal' and received a massive bounty of 97 M bellies putting a target on his head. Honestly, he was not worried about being hunted, from what he has learnt not many people have the ability to fly in this world.

"Robin! Let's get going, do you have any ideas where is the biggest town nearby??" he asked.

"We can go to Salavador to stay under the radar, It's a large pirate town but I heard rumours that it is ruled by one of the five families who runs the Underworld in West Blue."

"What's that??" Nova asked, clueless about the inner workings of the criminal world.

Robin took a sip of her tea before explaining, "The Underworld is a network of illegal activities like smuggling, piracy, human trafficking, and other black-market operations. The five families are powerful criminal organizations that control different regions of the West Blue. They are notorious for their ruthlessness and the vast resources they command."

Nova's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, I didn't expect to run into something like that so soon," he said. "But maybe it's a good opportunity for me to start building my own business empire."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Business empire?" she repeated, curious.

"Yes," Nova nodded. "Money is a powerful tool in this world. It can change lives and create opportunities. I want to gather enough wealth to not only protect myself but to also help others and create a better world."

Robin looked intrigued, "How do you plan on doing that?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I know that with enough money, I can invest in communities and provide resources for those in need. I can also need money to make more money, the possibilities are endless." Nova explained.

"That's a lofty goal," she said. "But you have to be careful, the Underworld is not something to take lightly. It's a dangerous place."

"Don't worry, I can be more dangerous if they mess with us."

Robin sighed, knowing that Nova was not one to back down from a challenge. She finished her tea and stood up from the table.

"Let's head to Salavador then. But we need to be cautious and not draw too much attention to ourselves. We don't want to attract any unwanted guests."

Nova stood up as well, "Got it. I'll try to keep my identity hidden as much as possible."

Salvador,1502

Tesoro was born into a poor family. He liked singing and admired an entertainment show that he watched from the outside. However, his mother would often yell at him for his singing and his father wasted a lot of their money by gambling, and later died from an illness that their family could not afford the surgery. Over time, Tesoro's family grew poorer, and so he left them at the age of 12 years old. He started stealing money and befriended some shady people after giving money to them. He spent the money on gambling, liquor, and fighting.

When he was 16 years old, Tesoro suffered a devastating loss in an illegal casino, causing his friends to desert him and nearly resulting in him being enslaved. He managed to escape from the slave dealer, suffering many injuries in the process. He then met a girl named Stella in a human shop where they sell slaves, and by fate, they fell deeply in love.

"I'm hoping you'll buy me someday, as long as you don't have a change in heart." Stella said one day with a smile on her face.

"I'll change things for you. I'll change for you!!" Tesero promised her determined to change his ways.

He found a new goal in his life: One day free Stella from the slave dealer and live happily with her. Since Stella hated criminals, Tesoro started legitimately earning money to buy back her freedom. He has been working very hard for days and nights continuously for three years doing manual labour, working in mines but so far, he has not collected enough money to fulfil his and Stella's dreams for a happy future.

Unknown to him, a World Government's ship carrying a Celestial Dragon had just arrived in Salvador in a grand and ostentatious manner. The town's inhabitants, mostly composed of criminals and outlaws, are immediately filled with fear and dread at the sight of the World Government's Ship.

The celestial dragon, wearing an air helmet, flanked by a group of heavily armed guards and CP9 agents, made his way to the town's slave market, where they demand to see the finest and strongest slaves available for purchase. The slave traders, eager to please the dragon and avoid any potential repercussions, brought out the best group of beautiful women, men and children they had for sale.

The celestial dragon inspected each slave with a critical eye and creepy smile, choosing only the strongest and most beautiful slaves to be taken as his personal property. Unfortunately, Stella was also among the group of slaves. When Tesero arrived after hearing the commotion it was too late, when he saw the fat and ugly celestial dragon dragging Stella in a dog collar he couldn't contain his anger.

"As long you have the money you can buy anything you want-eh!" The Celestial Dragon said mockingly.

Tesero was so enraged at his own weakness and failure to protect Stella. In a last ditch effort he rushed to attack the man, but how could a common thug stand against trained guards? He was immediately captured and brutally beaten to the ground.

Stella helplessly watched tears streaming down her face, Did she not deserve a little bit of happiness? "Thank you Tesero! I appreciate your feelings atleast! It made me happy!"

"Stelaaaaa!" Tesero cried desperately as the bystanders watched without helping him. No one was willing to confront Celestial Dragons for a commoner. He felt a crushing sense of powerlessness, a feeling that he had never experienced before. All of his efforts to be a changed man meant nothing without the woman he loved.

"Stop whatever you are doing!!!" An angry shout suddenly drew everyone's attention.

---

AN* I have copied a part of Tesero's part from wiki fandom.*

Comment and Review if you like this story.