บท 36: Chapter 21: Resentment
"Rosan, I want to talk to you about something," Mod said seriously. She had been deeply contemplating this and after how well the talks with the virus went, she decided her son was old enough to hear this.
The 4 brothers were currently in his mindscape and at Mod's call, they had quickly given the Devil Fruit their attention.
"What is it, Mod-chan?" Rosan replied calmly. He was sitting upright with Ram, as usual, resting her head on his lap. He idly stroked one of her silver twintails and she purred in bliss.
There was something else she wanted to tell him? It was unlikely that it was as bad as the virus but he could never be too sure, considering she had chosen to hide that from him in the first place. Who knew what else she was hiding from him?
Mod took a deep, nervous breath and steeled herself. She was psyching herself out for no reason. This wasn't nearly as bad as the virus and Rosan had been more than reasonable on that discussion.
"You know how I have access to all your memories, correct?" Mod asked softly and he nodded in confirmation. According to her, she could view any memory of his due to having a mindscape. It was incredibly useful to have and allowed her to remember even the smaller details of his life. That's why she had known so much about him when they had first met.
"If you have access to them, then I should as well right?" Rosan questioned and she nodded in return. The redhead didn't really think about looking back at his memories and that was something that probably would not change.
When he was younger, the thought of remembering would hurt too much so he shied away from it. Now, he saw no purpose in doing so. Memories were just that, memories and he had enough things in the past to think about.
"Yes. It's stored in an area inside your mindscape but that's for another time... If you're interested in viewing it!" Mod confirmed. She knew about his general disinterest with memories but Ram was not the same. She had demanded to see memories of times where she didn't exist and had wanted to know more about Meiko.
"I love watching your memories!" Ram gushed happily. Her and mother looked so alike but acted like two completely different people! She actually acted more like Father when he was younger and that made her giddy!
"Hm… I suppose we can show these 3 my memories from long ago," Rosan decided and his brother's eyes widened in interest. "My life was rather... hectic and I can't show you everything because you are all still young but maybe when you're older and still interested."
"Yeah!" Sabo nodded cheerfully. "That sounds fun!"
Ace nodded in agreement. Rosan's past was an interesting topic of interest that they didn't have many details about. To see with their own eyes what he had been doing? It sounded like it could be fun!
Luffy didn't really care about Rosan's past but Ace and Sabo were interested so he'd watch it too!
"Sorry to interrupt," Mod said quietly, causing them all to go silent. "Like I said, I have access to all your memories, even the ones you can't remember because I went back to look at them," she informed them all.
"That… includes memories of when you were a newborn," the purple haired woman told him hesitantly and Rosan immediately nodded in understanding, getting what she was implying.
Everyone else only looked confused.
"So you do know of my birth parents," the redhead hummed. How interesting, he had speculated that Mod had some information on his parents but he didn't care about them, that's why he refused to prod her.
Sabo and Ace's eyes went wide at that revelation. Rosan's birth parents? The Devil Fruit knew about them? But hadn't he been abandoned?
"Not exactly," Mod whispered. "I know a little bit about your mother, but I have no clue who your father is or could be. I wanted to tell you what I did know about the woman who gave birth to you."
"You hate her," Rosan pointed out and his surrogate mother locked eyes with him.
"Yes. Abandoning you to your fate is completely unforgivable and if I ever get my hands on her..." Mod had a dark look in her eyes at the thought of the woman who had so cruelly left him. Her only saving grace, was that her abandoning Rosan, allowed the two to meet.
"Ah, so she did abandon me. I guessed as much," the redhead said but he didn't look at all bothered by it. The teen remained silent and indicated for her to continue.
Mod took another deep breath.
Where to begin?
"Your mother's name is Iris D. Raisa and she is the queen of an island in the South Blue," Mod said bluntly.
Ram's jaw dropped.
"W-w-WHAT?!" She stammered at the revelation and looked up at her Father in awe. "Father is… Father is royalty?!" The teen gaped in disbelief.
When she had said Rosan was practically royalty, she didn't mean it literally! This was too much information to take in and Auntie Mod had only said one sentence!
"SHE'S A QUEEN?!" Sabo gaped. That mean two out of four of the brothers were of noble heritage and the redhead was of even higher status then the blonde had been!
Rosan hummed but didn't comment. So he was a prince? Even if he had emotions, he wouldn't have really cared. His birth mother meant nothing to him and he would never call her his mom.
It was interesting that she was a D. though. That explained who he got his middle initial from.
"Yes, I think Rosan was her first child and based on what few words I heard… he was not meant to be born," Mod said gravely and the redhead instantly pieced together the information.
"Ah, she was likely raped by my father," he said bluntly. If he wasn't supposed to be born and he was abandoned by her, it was likely that someone had forced their way onto her. That was understandable.
"That's what I think as well but she didn't say much of anything around you. She didn't even wait a day after your birth to abandon you," Mod growled lowly. The woman was merciless, leaving a newborn in the forest like that. How she could move so soon after giving birth? Mod would never know but she hadn't even hesitated to leave.
Rouge had thought Rosan was a couple weeks old when she found him, but the woman had been wrong. Rosan hadn't even been a day old.
"The only reason I know her name, is because her personal doctors called you Iris D. Rosan and referred to her as Queen Raisa while making sure you were healthy. Iris could be the surname of your father but I heavily doubt it," the woman finished and they all digested that information.
"Bitch," Ram muttered venomously. Who did she think she was? Abandoning her father?! She should be grateful that she gave birth to him! The weapon was right there with Auntie. If they ever met, there would be hell to pay.
"How does she look?" Ace asked in curiosity. It was clear that Rosan didn't care whatsoever about his birth mother so they would ask the questions instead.
"I was seeing through Rosan's eyes and he was color blind at the time so I'm not too sure," Mod muttered with a frown on her pretty face. "I believe that Rosan inherited mostly everything from her though. Her features were strikingly similar to your female form and the doctors said "He inherited your red hair and purple eyes," before going quiet and apologizing profusely, presumably from her glaring at him."
"How did I end up in Baterilla?" Rosan suddenly asked, filing that information away from later. Besides Angel and Demon, he doubted anyone looked like him.
It was unlikely that he'd ever meet her, seeing as he didn't sail through the South Blue anymore, but just in case it ever happened.
Mod hummed. "You slept for most of it but I suspect it was by flight. That was the sensation it felt like and I heard wings flapping but when you woke up, the flight had already been finished and she only stared at you for a brief moment..."
Baby Rosan must have known something was going to happen because as Raisa tucked him in a tree, eyeing him all the while with a neutral expression, he had begun to cry. The only sign that it had affected her, was the sight of her brows furrowing slightly but she had immediately banished it and had taken off without looking once.
Mod truly hated her. Memories of baby Rosan sobbing always tore at her heart strings and she wanted nothing but to hug the infant.
Rosan tilted his head as he digested her words.
So she probably had a Devil Fruit. Some type of Zoan that granted flight by the sound of it. He wondered what it was because that could likely be the reason that he loved flying so much...
"My birth father is probably powerful," Rosan commented. If it was true that she had been raped, then that meant the man who contributed, was a strong individual.
Raisa was a queen and she would probably have security. Coupled with the fact that she was a Zoan Devil Fruit user and his birth mother…
Hm.
To be so bold in his actions and go after a queen. Perhaps Rosan had inherited some of his personality from the man who had helped birth him.
What a sickening thought.
"I didn't want to tell you about her because I really do hate her and she serves absolutely no purpose to you," Mod frowned. "But when Sabo was telling us about his life and you called me out, I felt like I needed to for the both of us."
"You didn't but I'm happy you came to the decision on your own," Rosan placated her with a rub of the shoulder. It was good for her to be able to come to these decisions on her own, even if it came at the expense of withholding information from him.
"I truly don't care about learning more of the people who birthed me. My name is not Iris D. Rosan. It's Portgas D. Rosan and I am the son of Portgas D. Rouge," he said bluntly and Mod couldn't help but smile brilliantly at him. Even at such a young age, he had known he was adopted and his stance on who his mother was, never once changed. Even with the knowledge that his real mother was still alive, he still thought the same thing and she loved that.
"The fact that I am a prince, means nothing to me. Though, Maro will be happy to hear that we share something else in common."
They all sweatdropped at his nonchalance but decided this was probably the best way to go about it. If Rosan didn't care, why should they?
"I'm probably never going to meet her and I think the both of us are fine with that. There's no reason for me to put any stress on a person who I barely knew for a day," Rosan commented and Ace looked at him strangely.
The two were far different with how they approached their parents. Ace detested Roger despite never meeting the man while Rosan was completely indifferent to his mother. Even if the circumstances were different...
Maybe he could take a page out of his book? Roger didn't have to rule his life the way he was allowing it too and he had his brothers now.
It would be hard to undo years of work but what better time to start, than now.
"Good," Rosan said, patting Ace on the head and getting his hand slapped in return. "I hate father too but I don't let him weigh me down," the teen explained and the freckled boy snorted in amusement.
"Seems like we all have parental issues," the redhead hummed. He idly wondered about the fate of his birth father. Mod-chan knew nothing about him but someone like that, who would so brazenly assault a queen, couldn't have been good for the world.
Maybe he was currently in a prison? Or maybe he was dead? Eh, he didn't care.
The two ten year old's laughed at that comment before they all looked at Luffy. The boy was currently being chastised in a motherly tone by Mod for picking his nose and she was pinching his cheek for good measure.
"I wonder who Luffy's parents are..." Sabo mused. Anyone related to Garp, had to be a monster in their own right.
"Gramps and Luffy are enough for me," Ace snorted and Rosan nodded in agreement. "I don't wanna meet anyone else like those two."
An older version of Luffy, sounded like a complete disaster in the making.
The little seven year old just stared at them all in confusion. He was about to pick his nose again but Mod slapped his hand away and began to threaten him with no food.
That successfully cowed him.
"What are you guys talking about?" The youngest boy asked.
"Nothing at all, Luffy," Rosan answered immediately, not willing to explain it to the boy. His youngest brother was hopeless at the best of times.
Sabo and Mod nodded sagely.
Ace and Ram snorted in amusement.
Rosan could not stress enough, how little self preservation (Rouge would let out an unladylike snort if she heard Rosan say this) Luffy had. He wasn't sure if it was bravery or stupidity but it really could have been either or both.
The redhead's bet was on stupidity.
"Luffy, we stand no chance against that tiger!" Ace complained as he and Sabo dragged the struggling boy away.
"HE TOOK MY FIRST CATCH!" Luffy screeched indignantly and he waved his little arms in anger.
Rosan understood but sometimes it was best to just cut his losses.
They had been hunting a Danpa (Rosan was simply watching from above) and after cornering it, Luffy had successfully taken it out.
His victory had been short lived though because a huge tiger had quickly come to claim their prize, heedless of the effort the rubber boy had just put in.
Luffy, in his ever present wisdom, tried to fight the tiger and he failed spectacularly but he wasn't one to give up and that led to the situation now, with Ace and Sabo dragging the squirming rubber boy away.
The boy then proceeded to lose the first Danpa they captured, by jumping incessantly on a bridge and falling through it, leading to the Danpa falling and Rosan having to grab his brother lest he fall in the ravine.
Now they had no food.
"All the food on my ship has been eaten as well," Rosan told them, as they all lay down on the comfy large bed. When Maro and co visited, they had made sure to eat everything on the ship with the amount of parties they threw.
The redhead saw no point in restocking it so now the White Rose had no more food on it.
"I'm starving," Luffy whined and Ace punched him on the head in anger.
"It's your fault!" He roared.
"Can you blame him for getting upset about losing his first catch though?" Sabo asked thoughtfully.
"It's too reckless to fight such a big tiger though," Ace told the blonde.
"That's something you would do!" The former noble chuckled.
"Ace still doesn't think he and Luffy are similar," Rosan commented and he deftly dodged a punch aimed for his skull.
"Shut up! Both of you," the freckled boy grumbled and they all lay down to get some rest.
Luffy chose this moment to wake back up.
"Ace! Sabo! You guys gotta come aboard my ship! Okay? Say yes!" The youngest child exclaimed.
"This again?" Rosan commented, closing his eyes. He was already trapped with the little boy so this had nothing to do with him.
"All of you want to be captains and none of you will listen to the other. It won't work," the redhead said.
"He's right and I'm especially not taking orders from you, Luffy," Ace confirmed snidely. There wasn't a chance in hell he'd take orders from his useless little brother.
"But it would be fun to travel together! Rosan and I are gonna have the most fun so you should join us on my ship!" Luffy exclaimed in excitement.
"I don't like the sound of that," Mod sighed. Luffy was insanely reckless on the best days and she could already see the amount of effort Rosan would need to put in to keep him alive.
"I do!" Ram beamed. The rubber boy's omen sounded like a lot of fun!
"I'm not taking orders from anyone," Sabo said decisively.
"It's not gonna work," Ace smirked in amusement.
"Honestly, you're lucky you managed to recruit me, Luffy," Rosan added his two cents. "Normally, I would have never even thought twice of joining someone's crew. I have no interest in leading a group but I would rather do that then listen to someone else."
Ace snorted at that. The brothers had seen some of the teen's earlier memories and they readily agreed with that statement.
He was as chaotic as Luffy was! It was surreal to see the stone faced redhead, so hyper and unhinged. They felt sympathy for Mod and that Robin girl. Rosan seemed impossible to deal with.
"Oh yeah!" The seven year old said as an idea struck him. "How about this? The one who beats the big tiger can be captain!" He exclaimed with a huge grin.
"The big tiger? Are you serious?" Ace questioned with a raised brow.
"The chances of you becoming captain are pretty low," Sabo pointed out.
"That tiger is gonna eat you," Rosan said bluntly.
"That's not true! None of us can compete against him right now," Luffy whined in annoyance.
"That's a good idea!" Ace and Sabo exclaimed at the same time.
"Hm. Maybe I should go defeat it and have all of you come aboard my ship," Rosan mused, cupping his chin as he thought about it.
"NO!" The three yelled at him in unison. "This is between us!"
"Rude," Rosan commented before closing his eyes again. "Since this has nothing to do with me, I'll be going to sleep now."
The three brothers discussed their idea more, before following the oldest boy to sleep.
"Will today be any different from the others?" Mod hummed curiously, glancing at the three boys facing off against the giant tiger.
"Maybe. It's been a couple of months since they've begun doing this and they've gotten stronger from all the losses," Rosan commented, staring evenly at the tiger.
He was currently on top of a tree, glancing down at his brothers. Not once did he interfere with their battle but if they were in a situation where they were certainly about to die, he would step in.
As expected, Ace charged in first and delivered a blow that the tiger easily weathered. It responded with a swipe of its tail that sent the freckled boy crashing into the floor with a pained grunt.
"If they only plan on fighting it one on one, they'll all lose," Ram frowned in contemplation. Those three were extremely strong for their age but this Tiger was utterly massive and could weather a lot of blows.
"Teamwork makes difficult battles a lot more tolerable," Rosan agreed. He preferred fighting one on one but he knew the merits of having a partner well. Traveling with Robin, had taught him the importance of having an ally to watch your back.
That's why he trained Maro to be his right hand. On the off chance that he ever slipped up, she would be there to give him time to recover. It didn't happen often but they had saved each other's life during their fight with that Logia.
It seemed that Ace was realizing this too. The tiger had effortlessly dealt with Sabo and Luffy and when it went to land a killing blow on the little seven year old (Rosan was just about ready to intercept it), the ten year old's had intercepted it.
Rosan loosened his muscles as they teamed up and sat back down.
They didn't need him for this.
Good.
Sabo was tasked with luring the tiger into Ace and Luffy's waiting arms. The seven year old grabbed two trees with his arms and began stretching backwards.
Once he reached the max distance, Ace stepped in front of him and Luffy rocketed forward, launching the freckled boy through the air from the momentum.
"Gomu Gomu no Rocket!"
The freckled boy crashed into the tiger with unforgiving force and smashed his pipe against its head, cleanly knocking it out.
"So they can work together!" Mod beamed at seeing them win the battle through teamwork.
"So I guess Ace is the captain now," Sabo frowned in disappointment. Rules were rules. Ace had landed the finishing blow, so that meant he won.
"Ah, but I worked so hard for this!" Luffy whined.
"I'm not gonna be the captain," Ace waved them off. "I didn't beat it alone. We worked together to take it out."
The brothers smiled at that and began joking around with each other.
"I hate to interrupt," Rosan's dry voice rang out from the top of the tree. "But you have company."
They looked at him in confusion before freezing, at the low growling sound behind them.
The three slowly turned around and gaped at the sight of another equally massive tiger snarling at them. It did not look pleased with what they had done whatsoever and it's growling was increasing in frequency.
"RUN!" Sabo yelled and they took off with the tiger hot on their heels.
Rosan watched this from the comfort of his tree and Ram cackled hysterically.
"I doubt it will happen, but please make sure they don't die," Mod sighed and the teen nodded before hopping through the trees to pursue his brothers.
They were hopeless.
"I should lay low in the upcoming days," Rosan suddenly said, while reading a newspaper.
His brothers looked at him in varying degrees of confusion so the redhead decided to elaborate.
"There is a Celestial Dragon coming to Goa," Rosan started off. "For the sake of everyone on this island, it's imperative that I don't meet him."
"What's a Celestial Dragon?" Luffy asked and Sabo looked at him.
"They're the ones who rule this world," the blonde explained with a frown. "I've heard their even worse than nobles and they can do whatever they want without repercussion."
"It's true," Rosan confirmed. "If you even strike one, a Marine Admiral will pursue and deal with you," he told the three.
They looked at him in surprise at that information. An Admiral? One of the strongest powers in the World Government?"
"What did you do?" Ace asked with a bead of sweat on his head. He knew his older brother. The redhead definitely did something.
Rosan hummed. "The reason Reaper's first bounty is 500 million, was because I killed one of the World Nobles," he told them bluntly.
…
"W-W-WHAT?!" Sabo screeched in disbelief. He was the only one of the three that seemed to understand the gravity of what Rosan had just said.
"I was sailing one day when he attacked my ship," Rosan informed his brothers. "After I confronted him, he began talking nonsense and then tried to have me enslaved for his sick pleasure."
"The fact that people like that get to rule the world… The ability to do whatever you want with zero consequence... I do not believe anyone should be allowed to live like that and he learned that first hand," the redhead finished.
"He tried to make you a slave?" Luffy growled in a surprising amount of anger.
"What type of sick bastard just gets to decide that on their own?!" Ace snarled with a deep frown.
"Nobles… they really are the worst," Sabo muttered with a dark look in his eyes. Every day he regretted more and more that he had been born with their blood.
"People who are handed everything, will never have the life changing experiences needed to rule," Rosan said coldly. "If I meet another Celestial Dragon, I might not be able to resist killing them and knowing what I did, they probably have much stronger guards with them. So for the upcoming days, I'll keep a low profile and stay away from the Gray Terminal and Capital."
Sabo nodded immediately at that. He wasn't sure but if news got out that a Celestial Dragon was killed on Goa, this island would become a target for the World Government's wrath and it would be completely destroyed.
Rosan said he might not be able to resist killing him, so that meant the redhead would very likely do it.
"Alright," Ace nodded at that.
"Try to stay out of trouble. If you need me, I've modified my Save Point so just pull on the red part of Luffy's hat and I'll be notified that someone is trying to use it," Rosan instructed, pulling the part he was talking about to emphasize his point. He had thought of this after Luffy had gotten caught by Porchemy and he hadn't known.
His brothers were stubborn though so even with that information, they probably wouldn't use it.
That was fine with him.
"Have fun, I'm off to visit some of my... friends," Rosan called before vanishing from his brother's sight.
Sabo rummaged around in the pile of trash and grinned in excitement after finding a telescope. Luffy had wanted one for their hideout so he would be happy to see that the blonde had managed to find one.
He needed to make sure and thank Angel for helping make their base so sturdy. There had been freak storm but it had admirably weathered a lot of it! It would still need some repairs but not nearly as much as it would need if the female redhead didn't help.
Rosan had some really cool friends! He was glad that they had joined their circle and was eager to see them again, especially Maro!
His musings were cut short, at the sudden presence of others and he tensed up.
Sabo glanced warily at the influx of pirates surrounding him and recognized their hostile energy.
"Hey boy!" A man walked up and Sabo instantly recognized him. "I didn't know that one of the infamous little brats was from a noble family."
Sabo scowled at that and placed the telescope in his coat. "Bluejam! How did you know?"
He didn't go around advertising his nobility. So how did Bluejam know he was one? Just what was going on right now?
The blonde took a quick glance around and verified that he was completely surrounded.
"Alright remember, don't hurt the kid," Bluejam ordered and the ten year old dodged an incoming dive, responding with a hellacious kick that took the offender out of the equation.
"So you wanna fight?!" Sabo asked threateningly, only to look back in confusion at the sight of a rolling barrel descending to his level.
The barrel crashed into someone and Ace and Luffy burst out of the wreckage with battle cries and landed right in front of the blonde.
"Ace! Luffy!"
"D-dizzy," Luffy swirled around at the momentum.
"You okay, Sabo?" Ace called with a confident grin and the blonde grinned back.
"Yeah!"
Ace gauged all his opponents with that ever cocky grin of his. "If the three of us fight together, we can easily beat these bastards!"
"That's right! Not even the big tiger stood a chance against us!" Luffy yelled confidently.
Bluejam kept glancing around though, almost as if he were searching for something. "Isn't there a fourth one? Where is he?" He demanded.
"We don't need him to deal with guys like you!" Sabo said confidently. Rosan would be overkill so they refused to have him help with something like this.
The pirates looked aggravated at the idea that they were being underestimated and they positioned themselves far more aggressively.
"You little shits!" They snarled.
"Let's just finish this quickly by killing their captain," The freckled boy commanded and they were off.
Sabo sidestepped a wild blow and leapt into the air to deliver a strong kick to a pirate's side and a stomp to his back.
Ace leapt over a swing of a sword and responded in kind, with a devastating strike of his pole to the head of the man. He brutally hit him again just to make sure he was down.
Luffy effortlessly tanked a blow with his rubbery body and retaliated with a vicious headbutt to the chin.
The brothers were making quick work of the pirates and soon, they all charged Bluejam at once. If they managed to quickly take out the captain, they would win this fight easily.
The men stepped back in surprise, and a bit of fear, at the strength of the children and hastily pulled out his gun.
The brothers immediately stopped what they were doing, at the sight of the firearm, and dove for cover.
"So that's how you managed to deal with my boys following you," Bluejam muttered and they looked at him confusedly.
Boys following them? What was he talking about?
"Alright brats, don't move!" the pirate captain demanded.
Ace glared at him. "I'm not afraid of that!"
His words were cut short at the feeling of being grabbed and he immediately began struggling in the offender's grip.
Sabo was no better but they both failed to escape. Luffy's head was being smushed into the ground and he was heartily threatening the one doing it.
The blonde's struggles stopped as he saw a sight that made his blood run cold.
"Dad…!"
"You were right. They were going to get attacked soon."
Rosan stared at his brothers, from his place in the sky, with a blank gaze. He was out of sight from everyone there and his draconic wings flapped idly.
"It was obvious. After I dealt with those pirates stalking us, it was only a matter of time before Bluejam struck," the teen replied.
He had naturally noticed that they were being followed and observed. The redhead hadn't told his brothers but he had dealt with them personally.
Now the pirate decided to strike.
Rosan watched his brothers fight the group valiantly only to scatter at Bluejam pulling out a gun.
Rosan watched Sabo give his own freedom up for the sake of his other brothers safety.
Rosan watched Sabo turn around and walk back into the capital.
Rosan watched the pirates take Ace and Luffy away.
Yet Rosan did nothing.
"You won't help?" Mod asked in confusion.
"I already told them how to access me. If they wanted my help, they would have asked. I'm not going to help people that don't want help. Brothers or not," Rosan replied rather coldly.
Their stubbornness was beginning to cost them. The boys were clearly in trouble and all they needed to do was call on Rosan and he would have solved this all.
Yet, they didn't want to and Rosan was not the type of person that would offer his assistance. He didn't like helping people who thought they could do it on their own. It made them ungrateful and spiteful.
"They will have to do this on their own until they call on me. I won't offer my assistance anymore," the redhead told his inhabitants.
Mod frowned but nodded in understanding. Rosan detested helping people that acted like they didn't need it. Even as a little child... he would only offer once. His little brothers were very headstrong and even after Rosan told them explicitly how to summon him, they refused to do so. "At the very least, make sure Ace and Luffy don't die."
The redhead already thought of that. He sent a bug after the pirates and instructed it to notify him immediately if their life was in danger.
Done with that, the teen stealthily flew after Sabo, blocked by the white clouds.
He wanted to know what the boy was thinking right now.
"Ace... shouldn't we call Rosan? He could get us out of this easily!" Luffy whispered to his older brother. The two brothers were currently working for Bluejam and he had them carrying some crates around to some specified locations.
"No," Ace whispered harshly. The thought of accepting his older brothers help, when he couldn't do anything at the moment, left a sour taste in his mouth. It was like he was acknowledging his own weakness at the moment.
He couldn't stand that thought, they'd find a way out of this.
"Why?!" Luffy asked in confusion. Rosan was super strong! He would take these guys out in an instant and go get Sabo too!
"We can't fall back to Rosan when one thing goes wrong, Luffy," Ace hissed. "If we can't do this, we might as well make him the captain and sail under his ship."
Luffy frowned but nodded at the logic. Rosan was his crewmate! He couldn't be the captain because he was the scout of his ship!
"Lets just do what Bluejam wants for now and see what happens," Ace finished and he continued walking.
Luffy said nothing but followed after.
The bug watched all the while.
"Your family is pleasant."
Sabo jumped in shock at the familiar dry voice and hastily turned towards the source.
"R-Rosan?!" The blonde called towards the teen sitting lazily on his bed, eyeing the stuff in his luxurious room. "What are you doing here?!"
"I've been tailing you this entire time," Rosan replied easily.
"B-but I didn't even sense you? And how did you even get inside?!" Sabo asked in disbelief. This whole time, Rosan had been following him and not once had he known?
"I've done my fair share of breaking and entering as well as assassinations that require me to be silent… Also, I modified a hole into your wall and flew through," Rosan informed him bluntly and Sabo sweatdropped at that information.
His oldest brother was pretty scary.
Sabo shook his head and immediately asked "Are Ace and Luffy okay?!"
"They are alive but with Bluejam," Rosan told him and Sabo shot him a confused look, prompting him to continue. "They never called me and when I sent a bug, I learned that they still don't want me to help them."
"What? Seriously?!" Sabo muttered to himself. "What is Ace thinking right now by not calling you?! They definitely need your help…"
Even Rosan knew that and if he didn't want to help…
"You two are too stubborn for your own good," Sabo sighed in defeat but he knew where Rosan was coming from.
Sabo wasn't as nearly as against the idea of the redhead helping them out as much as Ace was but his best friend seemed to despise the idea of receiving any help from their oldest brother. It was probably from the lingering resentment he felt due to Rosan having left him behind but he had claimed that they were good now...
Of course it was never going to be that easy.
Rosan hummed, not denying the statement and instead asked, "What do you plan on doing now? Would you like me to break you out?"
"Even if you break me out… If I go back with you guys, I'll just be attracting trouble. My father won't give up on searching for me," Sabo muttered sadly.
"I could deal with him. That way he won't bother us," Rosan suggested, showing off Ram for good measure.
Sabo shook his head rapidly. "You don't have to do that! I don't want you to kill him," the blonde assured him and Rosan nodded. That was still his father! He would feel terrible if his brother killed Outlook on his behalf.
"No one in the capital can really hurt me so why don't you just let me protect you?" The teen wondered and he tilted his head to the side. It seemed like a pretty easy solution to the redhead. He was more than strong enough to deal with whatever was sent his way.
Sabo remained silent for a moment.
"As long as I stay here, the four of us can't do what we normally do and it'll be my fault," the blonde spoke up after a while. "Dad is paying people off to get me too and he might get even more desperate. You leave a lot to deal with your business and I don't want that to stop because of me..."
"I don't want to be a burden," Sabo said seriously. Besides, if he wanted to be a pirate he couldn't rely on Luffy's scout until it was time to set sail. It would be embarrassing as a captain to rely on another crews member.
"We're brothers, I would never consider you a burden but I understand," Rosan nodded. He wouldn't argue against him because he understood where he was coming from.
"So what will you do? It's obvious you won't remain here. Where do you plan on escaping?"
Sabo was touched at Rosan's words and he began contemplating the question. Just what would he do... He had no intention of staying with his terrible family but he needed to find a way to escape.
Suddenly, Rosan held a finger to his lips and vanished from his sight.
"I'm camouflaged," a voice whispered in his ear, making Sabo jump. "Someone is coming, pretend like I'm not here," Rosan commanded and he linked with his brother so that they could continue communicating.
The former noble nodded imperceptibly and a hand suddenly rapped on his door.
The identity of the person was soon revealed to be his new brother, Sterry.
Sabo regarded him with thinly veiled disgust and the camouflaged Rosan stared blankly at him.
"I don't think I want to claim this one as my brother," Rosan said quietly and Ram burst out laughing.
"Kahahahaha!" The weapon cackled. "I don't blame you! He's got quite the face!"
"I think we're all in agreement," Sabo snorted.
"Don't be rude," Mod tried to reprimand but there was a smile on her face that she failed to hide miserably.
"Hey, brother! I heard that you're pretty stupid," Sterry greeted snidely. "Mother and father were always saying that behind the curtain."
Sabo's glare deepened.
"What a polite boy," Ram praised sarcastically.
"But you have the devil's luck cuz they're gonna take care of the burnables tomorrow night."
"What?" Mod muttered in confusion, not liking where this was going. There was no way he was implying what she thought he was implying.
Sabo was equally confused and he gave Sterry his undivided attention.
The boy soaked it all in and continued with a smug smile. "If you had stayed in the Gray Terminal, you would've died tomorrow."
The blonde's eyes narrowed at that information and he quickly closed the distance between the two.
Sterry began panicking as Sabo grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. "W-W-What are you doing?! I'll tell father!" The boy threatened in terror.
"What were you talking about?! What's going on?! Tell me everything!" Sabo demanded with a deadly look in his eye.
"Th-There's gonna be a fire in the Gray Terminal tomorrow!"
Sterry began telling Sabo about how the World Government was going to visit Goa and the nobles were in a panic because a Celestial Dragon was with them. They didn't want the World Noble to see the horrible state of the Gray Terminal so they were planning on burning it down… With everyone still in there.
And it was intentional. They wanted to burn up all the shame of the kingdom and that included the people.
It was…
"Disgusting," Rosan whispered and Sabo finally understood completely why his older brother had attacked one of the Celestial Dragons.
This was beyond cruel! How could they even think about doing something like this? Surely this must have been some sick joke!
"We need to do something," Sabo said, completely ignoring Sterry now. He donned his regular clothing and grabbed his pipe from under the bed.
The blonde opened the window and immediately leapt through.
Rosan was quick to follow and the moment they were out of sight of the building he undid his camouflage.
"He has to be lying," Sabo said in a panic. "It's not possible to burn down such a large area."
Rosan didn't reply for a moment, deep in thought before he let loose a small breath.
"I think I know how they're going to do it," the redhead replied.
"What do you… oh no," Mod said as it finally dawned on her. "Ace and Luffy."
"What?!" Sabo whispered in shock. "What about them?!"
"Bluejam and his crew are doing a job," Rosan explained. "They were placing crates down all over Gray Terminal. There's a chance that there could be oil and explosives inside of them."
Sabo felt his heart stop at the revelation. "But that's ridiculous! There's no way that's true!"
Rosan said nothing. Sabo was in denial right now and didn't want to see the obvious truth.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll check by observing the citizens tomorrow and see if there really will be a fire. We'll group again when I finish," the blonde told him.
"Okay," the redhead replied simply. "I'll find you when the time is right."
Sabo nodded at the plan and told Rosan to go make sure Ace and Luffy were okay.
The redhead hummed and vanished.
"I feel bad for Sabo. He's a kind boy so he refuses to believe it," Mod sighed sadly. He was far too kind to be anything like those nobles that his father wanted him to be like.
"Sometimes, the best way to find out the truth is to be directly hit with it," Rosan replied. It had happened to him many times and he was infamously stubborn without it.
His brothers were the same way.
Only when facing the truth themselves, would they be able to acknowledge the current issues without being in denial.
That's why Rosan wouldn't interfere unless necessary.
"It's harsh…" Mod began.
"But necessary," Ram finished.
"We're going to move crates for Bluejam today," Ace declared and Luffy looked a little doubtful but he nodded his head.
Rosan glanced at his brothers and tilted his head. "Bluejam? I thought he was your enemy. Why would you willingly go back to him?"
"He's paying us for a job," Ace said simply and his older brother hummed.
"Okay," was all he said. "I trust you know what you're doing."
The freckled boy was glad that he didn't try harder so with a stiff nod, he grabbed Luffy and began the trek to Gray Terminal.
"Try not to stay out too long today," Rosan suggested but Ace didn't outwardly acknowledge him.
Luffy looked back and Rosan didn't miss the apprehensive expression on his face but his youngest brother obediently followed after.
"Despite what he said, Ace still somewhat resents you," Mod frowned. His stubbornness could be risky in the future and if it persisted, something bad could happen to him.
"Yes, that's why he will refuse my help no matter what. Anger and resentment are not something that can disappear so easily. Even if you can come to terms with the reasoning why you feel that way," Rosan said knowingly.
It had taken a long time for his anger and resentment towards Robin to vanish. Even with the knowledge that she couldn't possibly save him (he owed her an apology), he was still upset and hurt with her...
Ace had been suffering like this for ten years. It was expected for him to still be angry at the redhead. He had gotten much better but it was not possible to get completely rid of that fast.
Rosan summoned one of his bugs and had it follow after the two.
Bluejam was a greedy man so his brothers lives were in danger today. He would ensure that they didn't die.
That would take place later tonight though. For now, he would do other things.
The nobles of this kingdom were crazy.
That was the devastating conclusion Sabo came to, as he gauged the reaction of every person who knew of the fire happening tonight.
Rosan was right. There was going to be a fire and the nobles didn't care one bit. They were treating it like a normal everyday occurrence and some were even happy about it happening.
This place was disgusting. He couldn't stay here. He couldn't become like these people. People who wouldn't even bat an eye at the death of innocents.
He needed to meet up with Rosan and warn Ace and Luffy while he were at it! His oldest brother knew about it but there was no guarantee that he would take action.
Sabo knew his older brother. He probably knew him the best out of the three! Rosan was surprisingly stubborn and he would not interfere until he felt like he needed to.
That probably meant to prevent Ace and Luffy from dying.
He needed to warn them now or else! Sabo didn't dare try and risk waiting until the last moment.
Would Rosan even be able to stop a fire big enough to take out the entire Gray Terminal? Would he even try?
Sabo didn't think so.
So he ran. He ran like his life depended on it to go warn Ace and Luffy.
"Stop!" The voice of a guard called and Sabo sucked his teeth in annoyance. "That's the runaway boy! Get him!"
The boy sped up as he heard the footsteps of multiple people chasing him. If they caught him now, he wouldn't be able to warn them in time. He couldn't get caught. He needed to make it to Gray Termina —
In his panic, he lost his footing and tripped onto the unforgiving ground but he wouldn't let that deter him.
"I-I have to tell them!" Sabo said through grit teeth and he pushed himself back up. He set off again and immediately crashed into a noble.
"Ow!" The blonde said, holding his head and he made to move again but the guards finally caught up to him and restrained the boy.
The boy struggled immensely but it was 3 on 1 and they managed to finally subdue him.
He was dragged back to his home and into the unforgiving arms of his father.
"Get in here!" Outlook growled, tossing Sabo down the stairs and into the cellar. "You've given me nothing but trouble! You're such a bad son!"
"I was right to adopt another child just as I thought," the man finished and he shut the door on the ten year old.
Realization hit Sabo's eyes as he realized he had been locked in the room and he began banging on the door.
"Open up, dad! I gotta go!" The child begged but no one answered him.
Tears began welling in his eyes at the hopelessness of his situation and he collapsed on the cold floor.
A tied up Ace and Luffy struggled heavily in their binds.
Well, Ace struggled while Luffy cried.
He couldn't believe what he had learned today. Those crates that he had been carrying around for Bluejam, had been filled with oil and explosives and they were going to be used to set the Gray Terminal aflame!
Ace didn't want to be the cause of this! He never wanted it to turn out like this.
After refusing to tell Bluejam where the treasure was, the pirate had tied the boys up to be caught in the fire.
Ace had managed to get his hands on a sharp piece of glass and now he was rapidly tearing away at the ropes. He only sped up, at the sight of the Gray Terminal catching fire.
He was not going to die here. Not until he found the answer to his existence...
"Try not to stay out too long today."
Ace's eyes widened as a startling realization hit him. Rosan never suggested that they come home earlier. He let the boys do whatever they wanted and only felt the need to search for them after it go too late at night.
But all of a sudden, he tells them to not stay out long today? Bullshit. He had to have known something was going to happen!
"I trust you know what you're doing."
Ace scowled. If he did know, then he chose to say that on purpose. As if he knew his little brothers were going to be in trouble soon.
His scowl deepened.
Fine. He would show his older brother that he didn't need his help.
The freckled ten year old broke free and dragged the sobbing Luffy with him.
"C'mon Luffy! If you keep crying, I'm gonna leave you behind," Ace barked and the seven year old immediately shut his mouth.
The fire was everywhere! Ace was finding it difficult to breathe with all the smoke in the air.
The ten year old looked left and right before deciding on a path and he quickly set off with Luffy hot on his trails.
He would not die here.
Rosan hummed.
"Sabo is not here."
The here in question, was his younger brother's home. The boy was nowhere to be seen and Rosan was sure he had learned that the fire was very real.
The redhead walked out of Sabo's room, in camouflage, and began his search for the blonde.
He was pretty sure that he didn't even need his camouflage to navigate around the noble home without being caught, but one could never be too careful.
The sound of a commotion caught his ears and he quietly made his way to the source to see if he could get any hints.
His sharp hearing managed to pick up Sabo's father complaining.
"Sabo did it again! Call the police," Outlook growled in annoyance and Rosan saw that a vent had been kicked open.
Ah, so he had been locked away and managed to escape. He had no reason to be here then.
Rosan saw the open window and made his way through it into the cool air. The heat of the flames didn't reach this place, unlike the glowing brightness.
"Sabo will probably be heading to the front of the gate. Let's make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
Rosan nodded. His bug was still watching Ace and Luffy so that meant Sabo was unattended too.
The teen quickly dashed to the front of the gates of Gray Terminal and came across the sight of guards assaulting a helpless Sabo. The boy was desperately trying to open the gates to Gray Terminal and they were bludgeoning him with the butt of their long guns to dissuade him.
Ram snarled in fury at their actions.
Rosan vanished.
Sabo looked on in confusion, at the fact that he was suddenly being hoisted up and a guard let out a pained yell, before going unconscious, as he was slammed violently into the wall, via kick.
He was in the arms of someone and their identity was soon revealed.
"Rosan?!" Sabo whispered in shock and the redhead glanced down at him.
"Ensure your target is absolutely safe first," Rosan thought to himself and he withdrew from the guards that Ram so desperately wanted to kill.
He took Sabo and vanished into an alleyway before the guards could fire at the two of them. He would not die, but he couldn't say the same for his little brother.
"Are you alright?" Rosan whispered to the boy who looked near comatose. The blonde was going to pass out any second now from the harsh beating inflicted onto him.
The sound of footsteps alerted the two and Rosan immediately turned to face the threat, while Ram transformed into his double barrel pistol. He aimed it directly at the man and made it very clear that he would shoot. The man, sensing the threat stopped and held his hands up in a gesture of peace.
He was a tall, near three feet taller than Rosan, middle-aged man who was dressed in a long green cloak that covered much of his body.
Underneath the hoodie, he could see a red tattoo on the left side of his face and some black hair.
The two sized each other up but Rosan's attention was grabbed, by his little brother desperately grasping him with tears in his eyes. He kept one eye on the stranger but focused on the boy.
"R-Rosan," Sabo gasped, tugging his long sleeved shirt desperately. "You were right… The nobles… are behind the fire."
"You're exhausting yourself, Sabo," Rosan whispered softly but he would not dissuade the boy from talking. He needed to get this off his chest before the call of sleep lulled him.
The blonde shook his head and tears began forming in his eyes. "This town smells worse than Gray Terminal… It smells like rotten people!" He gasped out.
Rosan noted that he was trembling from exertion and soothingly rubbed his arm.
The man was content to watch but Rosan didn't miss the grave expression on his face.
"If I stay here... I'll never be free!" The blonde admitted and he began to sob in earnest. "I-I'm ashamed of being born a noble!" He cried, causing Rosan to wrap both arms around him, careful not to aggravate his injury. There wasn't much he could say to his little brother but he'd be a source of comfort.
The man's eyes had gone wide at Sabo's words. Rosan didn't miss the look of shock and dread on it and couldn't blame him. It's not every day you hear a noble denounce their own heritage.
"Do what you have to do, Sabo," Rosan said, giving him his full support and the boy continued to cry.
"Please, Rosan! Save Ace and Luffy! They're in the fire aren't they?! Ignore what Ace wants and save them both!" Sabo begged and finally Rosan saw something alarming in the man's gaze.
Recognition.
The moment Sabo had mentioned Luffy, the strangers face had lit up in recognition and hearing of their fate, he couldn't keep the uneasy expression of his features.
Ah.
Interesting.
"Okay Sabo. I'll save them," Rosan whispered back.
"I know how you feel," the man suddenly said. "I was born in this country, too. But, I still don't have enough power to change this place."
"What is the leader of the Revolutionaries doing here?" Rosan asked calmly and Dragon regarded him with a cool gaze. Sabo looked up at the redhead in confused shock.
"So you know who I am," Dragon praised but the redhead was not impressed at all.
He had recognized him instantly. Of course he did, Rosan often looked at Bounty Posters and this was the most wanted man in the world. Every bounty hunter worth their salt would know about him.
"You've come to the same conclusion as I have then?" Mod questioned.
Rosan nodded. He had pieced together some things based on the mans expressions and the few words he said.
"What business do you have with Luffy? Not that I don't already have my guesses."
Dragon was impressed. The kid had been observing him the whole time and he no doubt noticed his slight reaction at hearing Luffy's name.
Not only that, the leader of the revolutionary had admitted he was born in Goa. If the teen was as smart as he acted, then he had already connected the dots.
"I'm not fond of parents who willingly leave their children behind," Rosan said quietly.
So he did know.
Dragon didn't deign to acknowledge that part. "Aren't you supposed to be in the North Blue? How did you manage to end up in the East?" He asked in return. Traveling between the seas was no easy feat. What made it more impressive was that he had gone from the North to the East. That was especially difficult considering they weren't at all close to each other like the South/East or North/West.
"?!" Mod's eyes widened.
Ram's eyes narrowed.
Sabo fought hard to stay awake due to the interesting conversation.
North Blue? Wasn't Maro a queen in the North Blue?
"On what basis are you so sure I'm supposed to be in the North Blue?" Rosan countered with a tilted head.
"On the basis that a red haired teen with heterochromia was reported to be helping the new queen of Celadon overthrow the old one," Dragon grinned. It was one of the islands on the revolutionaries radar but due to having a Logia protecting him, they couldn't just send anyone to deal with the corrupt king and there were higher priorities that the people, who could deal with them needed to handle.
"Tch," Ram muttered in annoyance. "He's good. Are we sure this is Luffy's dad?"
"He has to be," Mod replied softly. Too many things lined up for him not to be and he hadn't denied the claim.
"So the revolutionaries were there and they allowed two teens to clean up what should be their mess? Aren't you all supposed to be changing the world and dealing with corruption?" Rosan hummed, sounding utterly unimpressed.
"Resources are finite," was Dragon's reply. "I thank you for assisting that country. We would have eventually gotten to it but you helped us immensely."
"Thank me by not interfering in Maro's business. I would rather the revolutionaries not bring harmful attention to her."
By now, Sabo had fallen unconscious, succumbing to his wounds, and Rosan idly adjusted him to give him more comfort.
"I won't ask you why you abandoned Luffy and I don't really care but are you an enemy or not?"
Dragon, without hesitation, replied, "No, you can consider me an ally."
"Truth," Rosan verified and he nodded. "Okay, I'm going to trust you to watch over Sabo for me, Dragon. I need to go save my dumb little brothers."
"Save my son, please," the world's most wanted man requested and Rosan glanced back at him.
"You still consider him your son?" The redhead wondered momentarily.
Well, that didn't matter to him. Maybe Dragon just didn't want to drag Luffy into the life of a revolutionary due to how dangerous it was going to be.
It was far more noble then what his parent's likely did.
"I don't care if Luffy is my little brother, don't walk around and tell people he's your child, Monkey D. Dragon. You could bring great harm onto us if that's revealed," Rosan finished before he vanished from the man's sight.
Dragon stared at the spot where the boy with the lifeless gaze had been for a moment, before crouching down to make sure Sabo was okay. He had assured the teen that he was an ally so it would be best if he didn't break that trust.
The look in his eyes spoke of unspeakable hardship.
"What an interesting boy," Dragon mused to himself.
He had been slightly interested based on the reports he had read. After all, it wasn't every day, that two teens overthrew a king and usurped his position. Not only that, they had ruthlessly set up the man wielding the earth Logia and eliminated him with brutal efficiency.
Now, Celadon was shaping up to be an important island and it was largely thanks to the mysterious redhead who didn't even live there. Knowing that he considered himself his son's brother, made him all the more interesting. He also had a Devil Fruit that the leader of the Revolutionaries couldn't identify...
But what was definitively the most interesting thing about him, was the uncanny resemblance he shared with a certain woman he knew...
Dragon would be keeping an eye on him.
Ace hadn't expected Bluejam to still be here but he was and he had lost his goddamn mind in the process.
He had gone completely insane and it was clear that he was content to let his crew along with Ace and Luffy, die together in this fire.
Not on his watch.
Even if it meant giving up his treasure of 6 years, that didn't matter more than Luffy's life.
So he showed Bluejam the location of the treasure and sent the man on his way.
Or, that was supposed to happen but the pirate had other things in mind. He had his crew grab the boys and started spewing nonsense about how they couldn't be trusted and that they would need to follow him.
There was no way he was following the man to the treasure! They would surely die in the fire if he did that and it went against their deal in the first place! Was he fucking insane?!
Now, he was forced to watch his youngest brother screaming in pain, from a cut on his head, as a sword got ready to impale him where he lay. And there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.
He couldn't let Luffy die here. He just couldn't. This was his little brother and it was his job to protect him!
Sheer panic and rage flooded his body at the sight of his brother laying helplessly there. Without even thinking, the boy screamed at the top of his lungs.
"DON'T TOUCH LUFFY!"
Ace wasn't really sure what happened, but one by one everyone barring Bluejam and Luffy fainted.
He landed upright and immediately ran over to his little brother to check up on him. "Luffy, are you alright?!"
There was blood leaking down his forehead from the nasty cut and Ace balked at the gruesome injury. He had never intended for it to turn out like this. It wasn't supposed to go like this.
"You never wanted it to turn out like this? So why did you never call me then?" A familiar voice uttered and Ace froze in shock.
Rosan glanced around, face utterly blank despite the raging inferno surrounding them and locked eyes with Ace.
"You two are in dire need of assistance and yet, I had to come here on my own because you refused to call me," Rosan sighed, shaking his head.
"Your stubbornness is going to get you killed, Ace."
His brother had Pressure… or at least some variant of it.
Rosan watched calmly, as Ace unknowingly utilized his pressure to knock everyone unconscious.
"I figured it wasn't exclusive to us since I've never heard of it so I wonder what it is?" Mod said curiously. There was nothing in her memories about the pressure Rosan and Ace exhibited.
"I never thought of using it to knock a person unconscious… Can I even do that?" Rosan wondered. Maybe Ace had a special variance of it that allowed him to do that?
He wasn't sure but what he was sure of, was the fact that his little brother would have very likely chosen to die before calling him.
"This goes past resentment," Mod muttered. "He even dragged Luffy into it," she said in disappointment. The woman didn't think he'd have gone this far to prove his stubborn point.
"You must be Bluejam," Rosan greeted the nervous man. Ace's display had left him shaken up and he was looking rapidly between his men before finally focusing on the surprise arrival.
"W-who the hell are you?" Bluejam growled out, eyes bugged in annoyance and from the heat.
"…I'm the demon that Porchemy tried to warn you about," the redhead replied softly and his icy gaze landed on the captain.
"What business do you have with my brothers? Did Ace not give you the location of the treasure? Why are you still bothering them?"
Ace looked at Rosan in disbelief. "Y-you've been tailing us?"
"Naturally. I won't let you die here," the redhead responded.
"I can't just trust their words," Bluejam snarled. "I need insurance to make sure they aren't just lying to me! I need that treasure now so that I can get my revenge."
"Greedy. Even in the face of death, money is all he can think about," Ram muttered with a shake of her head. If you cared about money so much, become strong enough that you could take it on your own, not rely on some shitty nobles to keep up the end of their bargain. What a fucking moron.
Rosan hummed. "If you won't trust their words, then trust mine," he offered.
"The treasure is not there."
Ace's eyes bugged in confusion at what his brother was saying. "What are you talking about?! Yes it is!" He retorted, glaring at his brother in annoyance.
"No, I moved it," Rosan told him. "This morning, I relocated the treasure to an area that Bluejam won't reach no matter how hard he try. It's gone and you aren't getting it," he finished coldly, turning towards the pirate this time.
Bluejam felt as if he were floating at the revelation that his only way to get revenge on the nobles, was no longer an option.
He grit his teeth so hard, he drew blood and the man held his pistol up.
"You… fucking... BRATS!" Bluejam roared and he began shooting at the redhead indiscriminately.
Rosan glanced lazily at the man, raid suit already donned and it effortlessly tanked all the bullets meant to harm him.
"That won't work but it was a good effort," the redhead complimented and Bluejam paled at seeing him completely unscathed by the hail of bullets.
"W-what the fuck?" Bluejam whispered, trembling slightly in fear. Was… was he immune to bullets?! How did that work? This was who Porchemy had tried to warn him about?
The redhead tilted his head slightly, before his ears picked up the noise of running over the roar of flames.
"Ah, I didn't expect to see you here," Rosan said, completely ignoring Bluejam and focusing on a spot in the fire.
Ace watched in shock, as the entire Dadan family burst through the flames. They were all geared to fight and the worry on their face at seeing the boys, filled him with a strange feeling.
They were here… for him?
"Keep your hands off my boys," Dadan growled threateningly. None of them would be dying on her watch, even if she had to fight this pirate to keep them safe!
Rosan appraised her after that statement and nodded approvingly. "I misjudged you Dadan. You do care about us."
"S-SHUT UP!" She roared with a blush at the utterly unbothered child.
Seriously, he wasn't even sweating in this immense heat!
"Take Luffy and Ace and leave," Rosan commanded and Dadan saluted at the order. If he had this handled, he had this handled. The redhead was stronger than they were and he would solve this issue easily.
"No need to tell me twice. Boys, let's go!" Dadan roared and they carried the injured Luffy away.
Ace did not move.
"Stay out of this, Rosan," Ace snarled, causing the teen to actually raise a brow at him. "I don't run from a fight and I don't need your help!"
"This is unbelievable, he's even worse than you as a child!" Mod gaped. What was he even thinking right now?! They were in the middle of a fire, against an opponent the little boy would struggle against immensely and he still wanted to fight?
Was he a maniac?!
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