Chapter 4: The Arrangements for Rogue and His Mother!

Marineford.

Rouge, her entire person hidden within a black cloak, walked with her head bowed and an expressionless face, stepping through the layers of stone architecture.

The smooth concrete beneath her feet felt so hard and cold.

Surrounding her were a dozen female Marine officers.

Each of them wore a crisp, white, oversized coat of justice.

Some of them were visibly two or three meters tall.

The formidable aura radiating from each of them caused the Marines on both sides to straighten their chests and salute.

Just moments ago, as Rouge stepped off the warship, she had been handed over by Admiral Sengoku to the female Vice Admiral currently leading the way.

Roger, meanwhile, was being held on a different warship.

After those magnificent, massive Gates of Justice swung open, he was taken in the opposite direction under the escort of the Marine Hero, Garp.

Rouge knew they were headed to that legendary, terrifying underwater prison: the Great Impel Down.

At that moment, her gaze had lingered for a long time.

Rouge lifted her eyes slightly to look at the Vice Admiral known as Tsuru.

She appeared to be in her forties or fifties, and although the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were somewhat noticeable, there wasn't a single strand of white in her deep blue hair. Her two-meter stature also seemed relatively normal.

The key was that she didn't possess an overwhelming, aggressive aura; she gave off a very gentle impression.

She had heard Roger mention her a few times—she seemed to be a decent Marine named Tsuru.

This allowed Rouge’s emotions to relax slightly.

However, what she cared about more was how these Marines—no, how the World Government would treat the child in her womb.

After all, this was the bloodline of the Pirate King.

As for her own life, to be honest, she didn't care much.

Under the watchful eyes of many male Marines, the group of female officers finally arrived in front of a courtyard gate on the west side.

The gate was guarded by female soldiers on both sides.

Looking inside, one could clearly see many small buildings and a spacious training ground.

As Rouge followed Tsuru into the camp, she realized she had been brought to an area exclusive to female soldiers.

"You all go back and rest. I'll take it from here."

Vice Admiral Tsuru stopped and spoke to the female officers who had escorted them.

"Yes, Vice Admiral!"

The officers responded without hesitation and quickly dispersed in twos and threes.

Tsuru then turned her gaze to Rouge and smiled. "Let's go. I'll take you to see your room."

Rouge chose to remain silent.

Tsuru didn't mind, turning to continue walking, with Rouge following silently behind.

Before long, the two arrived at a modest-looking small courtyard.

Rouge was led into a small house within the yard.

"This is my home. From now on, you will live here with me. Generally, no one will enter without permission, and there are female doctors in the camp at all times, so you can rest easy."

Hearing Vice Admiral Tsuru's words, Rouge looked around the room.

Golden sunlight spilled in through the glass windows. There wasn't much furniture, but a bed, a table, and a cabinet were all provided, and there was even a bathroom with a separated wet and dry area.

It looked very clean, and the air was filled with a faint floral scent.

"However, there are some things you must be careful about. It is best not to leave this courtyard on your own."

"In a few days, you will be able to walk around the camp if someone accompanies you."

"But that is the limit. You must never leave the female soldiers' camp."

Rouge nodded, then pulled back the black hood from her head and asked softly, "How does the World Government intend to treat my child?"

Tsuru noticed the worry and unease in Rouge's eyes and offered a kind smile.

"Fleet Admiral Kong's order is to keep you under house arrest in the female soldiers' camp, and your child will also live here until the age of six."

"But after six, he will study at the Marine elementary school just like the other children on the island. He can come home once every seven days, and he will have two long vacations each year, thirty days each time."

"When he turns twelve, he will enter the Marine Headquarters Academy. Four years later, depending on his grades, he will be given a rank and officially become a qualified Marine."

Vice Admiral Tsuru described the future of the child in Rouge's womb in a single breath.

At the same time, this was her way of saying: set your mind at ease, everything is fine, your child will grow up healthy and strong.

"Become a Marine..." Rouge looked at Vice Admiral Tsuru in disbelief. "Roger's child can also become a Marine?!"

"Heh, that is the news I received, though you are wrong about one thing."

Tsuru was also filled with deep emotion.

When she had first heard the World Government's arrangements for Rouge and her child from Fleet Admiral Kong, her shock was indescribable.

And judging by the voice and tone on the other end of the Den Den Mushi, it was clear that Fleet Admiral Kong himself was also very shocked.

"What?"

Rouge became tense all of a sudden. Tsuru continued

"The child in your womb is not allowed to bear the surname of Roger or your own, nor are you allowed to tell him that Roger is his father. You must remember this!"

"According to the orders issued by the World Government, once it is discovered that your child knows his true identity before the ban is lifted, and if he shows hostility toward the World Government and the Marines, he will be captured, or even executed!"

Rouge fell silent after hearing this.

Tsuru was not in a hurry; she just watched her quietly, waiting for her answer.

"I understand. From now on, this child will be a person without a surname."

Rouge stroked her still-flat stomach and said softly.

She knew this was already the best possible outcome.

That the World Government could treat her this well was far beyond her imagination.

"Good. As long as you've come to terms with it. By the way, I have a younger sister named Gion. She comes to visit me occasionally; I'll introduce you to her when she does."

"Alright."

A few days later, the latest issue of the World Economic Journal was released, air-dropped by tens of thousands of News Coos to every sea, kingdom, island, and even ship across the ocean.

When people all over the world saw the headline on the front page, they were all stunned into silence, followed by a series of screams erupting one after another.

【Pirate King Gol D. Roger Arrested by the Marines!!!】

The article briefly introduced how Admiral Sengoku and the Marine Hero Garp, leading Vice Admirals Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan, successfully captured Roger on Baterilla Island in the South Blue.

And that he would be publicly executed at Justice Square in Marine Headquarters, Marineford, at 11:00 AM on January 1st of next year.

It even mentioned that Roger's birthday was December 31st.

It highly praised the World Government for allowing Roger to finish his birthday, calling it an act of great mercy.

Instantly, the entire Grand Line was sent into an uproar by this thin piece of paper.

Especially in the "New World" sea area, where the great pirates gathered.

On the Moby Dick, "Whitebeard" Edward Newgate, with his golden hair, held a massive bottle of sake in his hand, gazing toward the direction of Marineford in silence.

At his feet lay the newspaper he had just finished reading.

The crew members around him looked at one another.

For a time, the only sound on the deck was the constant, rolling roar of the waves.