But awkwardly enough, Rojen and the others only looked at him teasingly; none of them made a move.
The enraged bandits, however, showed no mercy at all, instantly drawing their blades and charging at Chaporos.
"Throw them out."
Only then did Rojen's leisurely voice sound out.
Behind him, the six members of Dragon-Elephant, along with Daz Bonez, had already rushed forward the instant his words fell.
Given the strength of these seven, the outcome of this battle had no suspense whatsoever.
Pirates who roamed the seas and bandits who hid in the mountains, robbing villagers, were fundamentally different beings.
When blades and swords struck Daz Bonez's body and only produced sparks, the bandits finally realized what kind of monsters they were facing.
"M-Monsters!"
These bandits, who had likely never even seen a Devil Fruit before, immediately fell into panic.
They wanted to run.
But before they could escape, the Dragon-Elephant members had already kicked and punched them straight out of the bar.
Not even ten seconds had passed before the aggressive bandits who had stormed in so menacingly were completely swept away, piling up outside the tavern, groaning in pain.
Chaporos strode out with large steps, his expression lofty and superior as he looked down on the severely injured bandits.
"Scram. If you dare disturb this village again, my little bros will tear you apart!"
How would the bandits dare talk back? Trembling, they helped each other up and staggered off into the distance.
To Rojen and the others, this had only been a minor farce.
But now, the looks the owner and his wife gave them had already changed, now filled with awe and respect.
No matter where one went, the strong were respected.
Being able to easily deal with those bandits was proof of Rojen's group's great strength. Yet despite possessing such power, they were not arrogant at all, instead treating others gently and politely.
Pirates and bandits truly were different.
Off to the side, Nalene helped up the villager who had earlier been injured while warning them. She cast magic, and the wounds on his body quickly healed.
This scene left everyone clicking their tongues in amazement.
"Our ship's doctor is a magician? That's amazing."
"I'm a potionist."
Nalene corrected them.
The crew exchanged glances, ultimately still unable to figure out the difference between a potionist and a magician.
At this moment, Trens turned to the owner and his wife and finally asked about the purpose of their trip.
"Boss, do you know Ace?"
"Ace?"
The owner and his wife exchanged a glance, hesitating.
"Our captain is Ace's uncle. We came here specifically to take Ace away."
Trens said with a smile.
"We know Ace. Actually, for quite some time before, he was being raised by Dadan on the mountain."
"Dadan is also a bandit, but she was subdued by Vice Admiral Garp, so she doesn't really do bad things anymore. She's different from that bunch just now."
In the end, the owner did not hide anything.
"Then do you know which direction Ace went?"
Rojen asked.
"Ace is no longer here. Some time ago, Vice Admiral Garp took him away, saying he would bring him to the Marines for training, so that when he grows up, he can become an outstanding Marine!"
The owner's wife replied.
"Then what about Rouge? Ace's mother."
Rojen asked in a deep voice.
He hadn't expected Ace to have already been taken away by Garp at this point in time.
"That woman? She's living together with Dadan."
The owner answered.
The answer was already clear.
Ace was no longer here.
Rouge was on the mountain.
Rojen did not hesitate. After temporarily saying goodbye to the others, he headed alone into the mountain forest.
The directions given by the tavern owner and the others were extremely precise, even the distance and the exact route were explained clearly.
With their guidance, Rojen avoided wandering around aimlessly.
About fifteen minutes later, he saw the small wooden cabin they had mentioned.
Just as he reached the door and was about to knock, the wooden door suddenly opened with a creak.
Both the person opening the door and Rojen were slightly stunned upon seeing each other.
What entered Rojen's sight was a fat and ugly face, with blonde hair tied into twin ponytails, looking awkward no matter how one looked at it.
The corner of his mouth twitched, and Rojen spoke first.
"You're Dadan?"
"Who the hell are you, brat?"
Dadan replied rudely.
"Is Rouge here?"
Rojen brushed aside Dadan's bulky body and moved to walk inside.
To Dadan's surprise, this skinny-looking young man had casually pushed her aside with one hand, and she had been shoved away without even the slightest ability to resist.
At once, Dadan realized this young man was no ordinary person.
"She's inside, but you can't go in."
Remembering that old man Garp's orders, Dadan gritted her teeth and once again blocked Rojen's way.
"Move."
Rojen said calmly.
"No."
Dadan replied stubbornly.
Rojen said nothing. He simply waved his hand again.
This time, Dadan's fat body was sent flying directly away.
After landing on her backside, Dadan looked at Rojen with fear in her eyes.
This kid definitely had monstrous strength.
And that expression just now, it was way too terrifying!
This time, Dadan didn't try to stop him again and wisely chose to retreat.
Rojen entered the cabin and soon found Rouge sitting there mending clothes.
"Sister-in-law."
He called softly, wearing a faint smile.
"Rojen!"
Rouge stood up in surprise and delight.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"I heard from Garp that you were captured by the Marines and thrown into prison. I didn't expect you'd still be able to come find me."
Rouge said happily as she walked over and carefully examined him. After confirming that he was unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.
"I escaped. The Marines can't hold me."
Rojen said with a smile.
Rouge nodded.
"I came here to take you all away, but I heard Ace has already been taken away by Garp."
"Yes. I asked Garp to take Ace to Marine Headquarters. I hope he can become a Marine in the future."
Rouge said softly.
Rojen was momentarily stunned, then understood.
Roger had spent his whole life as a pirate.
As a pirate, he was undoubtedly successful, reaching the very peak of piracy.
But as a father and husband, he could honestly be described as a complete scumbag.
Naturally, Rouge would never want her son to suffer through the same hardships.
"The Marines, huh? Maybe that's not a bad path either."
Rojen smiled.
"Really? Rojen, you support my decision too?"
Rouge asked happily.
"Yes, but I'm afraid this wasn't only your decision."
Rojen smiled faintly.
"It was also Garp's idea, wasn't it?"
Rouge gave an embarrassed smile.
Seeing her expression, Rojen immediately understood.
But he said nothing further.
The inertia of history was immense.
In the not-so-distant future, Ace would still walk down the path of becoming a pirate.
"Since Ace isn't here, then come with me."
"Hm? Go where?"
Rouge asked in confusion.
"Garp is still a Marine. He himself may not have any bad intentions, but that doesn't mean other Marines won't understand your existence."
"So I'm taking you somewhere safer."
Rojen explained.
"Then what about Ace?"
"One day, I'll go bring him back."
"Don't worry. Leave everything to me."
(End Of This Chapter)
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