"That's right!" Rhett puffed out his chest, brimming with pride. "I'm a fighter of the Roger Pirates, known as 'Scarlet Mist,' with a bounty of 2 billion berries. When Marineford sees me—"
"—they'd be itching to capture you for the reward," Rouge coldly interrupted him. "Roger is planning to turn himself in. He didn't tell me anyone would come to pick me up, let alone someone as young as Rhett."
"I won't give you another chance to threaten my husband." As she spoke, Rouge pressed a kitchen knife to her neck.
How Rouge wished her child could see the world outside...
"Sorry, I'm a useless mother."
Rhett: ??????? "Damn it, Roger! You didn't even tell Rouge who would come to get her?"
What the hell? Ever since the God Valley incident, Rhett's appearance had remained that of a man in his twenties. By normal reckoning, Rhett should be well into middle age.
Rhett's pupils contracted sharply as he saw the knife in Rouge's hand. In an instant, he vanished!
Clang—!
Rouge's wrist went numb. Rhett had already snatched the knife, his other hand steadying her shoulder.
"Sis-in-law, calm down!" Rhett dropped his usual arrogance, his voice low and serious. "I'm not a Marine, nor am I here to threaten you. Trust me, I just look a bit younger than I am."
Rouge's eyes reddened. "Then who exactly are you?! Roger told me Rhett joined the crew at three years old. How could you possibly look this young?"
Rhett took a deep breath, slowly pulling out a pocket watch from his chest. On it was a group photo of the entire crew—a gift from Roger.
Rouge's pupils trembled. Tears spilled over.
Rhett grinned. "So, sis-in-law, don't give up just yet. Captain Roger definitely wants you to live well. At least let this '2 billion berry old-world villain' be of some use, huh? It's my Devil Fruit ability—Captain Roger must have told you I can replenish life force. It makes sense that I look young, right?"
Rouge fell silent for a moment. Finally, she let her guard down. "…Come in."
Rouge began packing her belongings.
Rhett looked at the two large bundles. "Uh, sis-in-law, do we really need to bring all this?"
The teacup the captain used was understandable, but the captain's unwashed underpants? Probably unnecessary.
Rouge shook her head gently. "I want you to help me bury these. I'm only taking these two things."
She held a sword and a gun in her arms, reminiscing with a hint of sadness. "My husband once told me that if it's a boy, we'll name him Portgas D. Ace. If it's a girl, Ann."
Rhett recognized them immediately—they were Captain Roger's weapons, Portgas D. Ace and Ann.
Now, his task was to escort her to the City of Seven Waters.
Rhett had specially prepared a small speedboat that could accommodate three people—discretion was key. The fewer people who noticed Rouge, the better. This was his responsibility.
But some people just couldn't read the room.
"Captain, there's a small boat over there."
"Men, fire the cannons and blow them up! Let them taste the terror of the sea! Hahahaha!"
Rhett frowned. A pirate ship with a skull flag was approaching. At the bow stood a burly man with a greedy gleam in his eye.
"Tsk, perfect timing," Rhett clicked his tongue, turning to Rouge with a reassuring smile. "Sis-in-law, please go inside the cabin and rest. I'll handle this quickly."
Rouge shook her head. "Little Rhett, let me see how you fight."
Rhett was surprised, but he quickly understood. Someone who could evade the Marines for over a year while pregnant was no fragile flower.
Rhett chuckled, pulling out the Black Tide Greatsword from behind him. "Allow this 2 billion berry old-world villain to put on a show for you."
He cracked his neck, hoisted the Black Tide Greatsword onto his shoulder, and stood at the stern of the boat, grinning. "Hey, you trash over there—die!"
"Men! Fire the cannons!!" Captain Barton barked. Several cannons roared, sending dark cannonballs hurtling toward them!
Rhett didn't even bat an eye. He raised the Black Tide Greatsword and twisted the blade—
"Mist God Style: Flash."
Swish—!
A crimson blade light sliced through the air like thunder, cutting every cannonball cleanly in half mid-flight. They exploded with a deafening roar but didn't even graze the speedboat!
The pirates stared in shock. "W-what?!"
Beads of sweat formed on Barton's forehead, but he forced himself to remain calm. "D-don't be afraid! He's just one man! Keep firing!!"
"Captain, take a look at that sword… Isn't that Rhett, the 'Scarlet Mist,' one of the Pirate King's crew?"
Rhett sighed. "Really… can't even be a decent audience."
He slowly raised the greatsword, dark red Haki coiling around the blade. The very air over the sea seemed to freeze.
"Mist God Style: Ghost Slash."
Boom—!!!
With a single slash, the sea was split open, carving a trench hundreds of meters long. The ferocious sword energy instantly shredded the pirate ship!
Crash—
Debris and seawater rained down. Rhett had already sheathed his sword, turning to Rouge with a bright smile. "So, sis-in-law? Satisfied?"
Rouge clapped softly, her eyes filled with amusement. "Don't call me sis-in-law. You might as well announce to everyone that I'm Roger's wife. Call me sis. But that was pretty impressive."
Rhett felt Roger's warmth—she truly regarded Rhett as family.
Is this what they mean by birds of a feather flocking together, Captain?
At that moment, Rhett didn't feel like a 2 billion berry villain. His youthful appearance kept his spirit and mindset fresh. This was his big brother's wife—that was enough. He chuckled. "Alright, sis."
After this little episode, Rhett used his mist abilities to alter Rouge's appearance and accompanied her to a nearby island for supplies.
Rhett looked at himself in the mirror, his mouth twitching.
After spending this time together, Rouge truly treated Rhett like a younger brother, and Rhett naturally accepted it.
"Sis… isn't this outfit a bit too flashy?"
He tugged at the deep blue robe embroidered with golden wave patterns, a white sash tied around his waist. Paired with his flowing black hair, he looked positively regal.
Rouge stood beside him, nodding in satisfaction. "It suits you well."
Rhett sighed. "But I'm a pirate. How am I supposed to fight dressed like this?"
Rouge pinched his cheek with a smile. "You can change back when it's time to fight, my dear little brother."
Rhett: "..." He was helpless. He was only a bit over 2.4 meters tall now, while Rouge was nearly 2 meters herself.
Rhett strongly suspected that mocking Buggy's height had cursed him with Buggy's Conqueror's Haki-level bad luck. After all these decades, he'd only grown this much.