A baby's loud cry echoed from the inner room, followed by Garp's signature laughter. "Hahaha! This little brat's punches are quite strong! Just as expected of Roger's— cough! Just as expected of my grandson!"
Rhett rushed in, face dark. He yanked open the curtain. "Garp! You're too loud, don't disturb Rouge's rest—"
His gaze froze.
Rouge leaned against the headboard, pale but smiling gently.
She cradled two swaddled bundles. One was being clumsily lifted by Garp, the other lay quietly in her arms, tiny hands clutching a strand of her golden hair.
"Rhett..." Rouge called softly, her gaze tender. "You're back."
Rhett stood rooted, throat tight.
Years of a pirate's life, filled with blood and steel, hadn't prepared him for this.
Shanks and Buggy... I didn't feel like this.
Garp shoved the crying baby into Rhett's arms. "What are you standing there for? Hold the kids!"
"W-Wait! Why is this kid so soft?!" Rhett stiffly held the infant, instinctively pulling back his blood mist, terrified of harming him.
Shanks and Buggy?? Weren't we soft as kids? Does love just disappear?
The baby opened round eyes and giggled, tiny hands patting Rhett's face.
Perona and Robin squeezed in the doorway, eyes sparkling. "So tiny! So cute!"
Moriah's shadow stealthily stretched out, poking the baby's cheek, only to be grabbed by the infant. The usually grim shadow assassin flailed in panic. "Foshehehe... Let go! The shadow's a bit cold."
Garp struggled to hold the crying Ace, the seasoned Navy veteran drenched in sweat. "Stop crying, brat! I'm trying my best here!"
Rhett mercilessly mocked him. "You're holding him wrong, you old fool. You need to support the baby's head. You're holding Ace upside down—no wonder he's crying."
"Hah? Back when I was raising Dragon—"
"So that's why he went and started a revolution?" Rhett put down the first baby and snatched Ace from Garp, expertly supporting the infant's neck with one hand while gently patting the swaddle with the other. "Watch and learn, old man."
Ace's cries immediately softened, teary eyes curiously gazing at Rhett.
Garp stared in shock. "How do you know how to—"
"Shanks and Buggy were still wetting the bed at three." Rhett deftly unfolded a diaper. "Who do you think was taking care of the apprentices on Roger's ship?"
"Pfft, hahaha!" Makino watched Garp's flushed face and quickly handed over a bottle of prepared formula. "Mr. Garp, try this?"
Garp took the bottle and shoved it into the baby's mouth like he was facing a mortal enemy—
"Cough! Cough!" The little baby choked, face turning red.
"Don't shove it so deep into her mouth!" Rhett rushed forward and grabbed the bottle. "Newborns can't control their strength yet."
Rouge lay on the bed, stifling her laughter. "Mr. Garp, maybe you should—"
"No!" Garp rolled up his sleeves. "I'm going to learn how to change a diaper today!"
Ten minutes later—
"Eeek!" Ace's pee shot straight onto Garp's face.
Robin silently used her powers to create three extra hands: one handed Garp a towel, another held down the struggling Ace, and the third covered Perona's mouth to muffle her laughter.
"Damn brat!" Garp wiped his face, then grinned. "But he's got spirit... just like my grandson!"
Rhett rolled his eyes. He'd given up. Garp was dead set on claiming Roger's—and his own—legacy. He lifted Ace to eye level with Garp. "Take a good look. His name is Gol D. Ace."
"He's mine too! To the world, he'll be Monkey D. Ace." Garp lowered his voice. "But you..." He pointed behind Rhett.
Rhett turned to see the baby girl grabbing at his Black Tide sword leaning against the wall.
"...This little one's quite active too." Rhett paid extra attention to this child who, in the original timeline, might have already passed away.
Late at night, Garp and Rhett sat side by side on the tavern's roof.
"Seriously," Garp took a swig of alcohol, "you're better at this parenting stuff than I am."
Rhett gazed out at the sea. "I've got experience. After all, I raised two kids."
They clinked bottles as the babies' cries rose and fell in the moonlight.
Garp suddenly jumped up. "What now?!"
"They're hungry." Rhett calmly pulled out two bottles. "This time, remember to test the temperature—never mind, you'd just commit murder trying to make formula."
After a night of chaos,
At dawn, Garp sat on the roof again with a bottle in hand, unusually quiet.
Rhett leapt up and tossed him a bag of donuts.
"So happy being a grandpa you don't even want to be a Marine anymore?" Rhett teased.
Garp took a swig and suddenly said, "Sengoku... he's figured out Ace's identity."
Rhett wasn't surprised.
"But he won't say anything." Garp looked out at the rising sun. "Just like what happened at God Valley... some secrets are tacitly understood among the higher-ups. As long as Ace's identity remains hidden from the world, as long as you and I are here, the two siblings will be safe."
They fell silent before Garp grinned. "But that little brat's sister—Ann—she's my proper granddaughter!"
Rhett rolled his eyes. "Did Rouge agree to that?"
"Of course!" Garp declared shamelessly. "I've even picked out the venue for her wedding! It's going to be at Marineford! They'll carry on my legacy and become Marines, hahaha!"
"That's just wishful thinking, but... I'll kill you right now if you keep trying to act like my dad, Garp. Take this!"
They didn't actually fight, though. As a joke, they'd just managed to get the two little ones to sleep. If they made too much noise here and woke them up again, they'd both go crazy.
"That Robin girl... I think I'll leave her here. Her future isn't on my ship."
Garp picked his nose. He'd actually been considering that.
In the morning light, Rouge stepped out of the tavern with Ann in her arms. The baby slept soundly, tears still clinging to her lashes—Ace had accidentally kicked her during his earlier crying fit.
Perona floated up excitedly. "Can I teach Ann? I'll definitely raise her to be the cutest Ghost Princess!"
Robin gently touched Ann's tiny hand and whispered, "I... can teach her to read."
Enel crouched on the roof's edge and snorted. "Troublesome brat."—only to be flipped over by Moriah's shadow, landing right in Makino's freshly laundered pile of diapers. Moriah's parental instincts had truly kicked in.
"Keep acting edgy, Enel! Your Mantra was on all night last night."
Rhett watched the scene and suddenly remembered Roger's drunken ramblings from years ago. "Gahaha! When I have kids, I'll definitely form a 'Second Generation Pirate Crew'!"
He looked down at Ace in his arms. The little one had somehow grabbed his collar and was sleeping soundly, drool dripping down.
"Captain..." Rhett murmured, "you bastard... you really left behind the greatest treasure of all."
Three days later, at dusk, the Bluma Jackson set sail once more. Rouge stood on the dock, holding the two infants, with Robin by her side. Ace waved his arms, while Ann quietly watched the ship disappear into the distance.