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Mid-1498, Sea Circle Calendar.
Some time had passed since Roger's execution earlier that year.
Inside Marine Headquarters hospital, Benn Ortoren sat on a bench in the corridor outside the operating room with Robin and Lucci. Ortoren's expression was calm, while Robin looked anxious and uneasy. Lucci tried to comfort her.
"It'll be fine. The doctors in there are top-class."
Seeing Robin and Lucci—who were supposed to be destined enemies—interacting now like siblings in a warm, harmonious way, Ortoren couldn't help but feel a bit moved. In the end, he really had changed the fates of many people.
"I know it'll be fine, but... I can't help feeling nervous," Robin whispered as she prayed silently.
No one was gravely ill. Today, Rouge was giving birth!
Originally, Ace wasn't supposed to be born until a year and a half later—on January 1st, 1500—and his birth would have cost his mother's life. But things had changed dramatically. Thanks to Ortoren, Rouge didn't have to endure carrying Ace for over twenty months at the cost of her life force.
As the wife of Vice Admiral Benn Ortoren, one of the Marines' rising stars, she could now give birth safely without worry.
While Robin prayed, Garp came hurrying down the corridor.
"How is it?" he asked the moment he arrived.
"The child being worried is one thing, but you too?" Ortoren shot him a glare. "Don't make the atmosphere even more tense. The best obstetrician is inside, assisted by a healing-type ability user. Nothing will go wrong."
No sooner had he spoken than the operating room doors opened. A female doctor removed her mask and smiled.
"Congratulations, Vice Admiral Benn. It's a healthy baby boy. Mother and child are both safe."
Ortoren, who had seemed calm until now, stood up, let out a breath of relief, and walked forward with a smile. He pulled a red envelope from his pocket and handed it over.
"Thank you, Dr. Maya."
"Is this a bribe?" Dr. Maya laughed.
"If it were, I should've given it before the surgery. This is just to celebrate today's good fortune. Please accept it." Ortoren chuckled.
Dr. Maya accepted it with a smile. "Thank you. But don't forget, postpartum care and regular checkups for the baby are essential. Vice Admiral Benn, you'll need to shoulder your duties as both husband and father."
"Got it, got it!" Ortoren agreed readily.
Soon, Rouge and the baby were moved to a recovery room. Robin and Lucci checked in on the weakened Rouge with concern, then went with Garp to look at the newborn with curiosity.
Ortoren sat at Rouge's bedside, peeled an orange, and handed it to her.
"You worked hard."
"Thank you." Rouge accepted it, her eyes filled with gratitude and new hope for life.
After a moment, her expression turned hesitant. "The baby's name..."
"Have you two decided?" Ortoren asked, feigning ignorance.
"Yes. If it's a girl, Ann. If it's a boy, Ace..." Rouge nodded softly.
Ortoren thought to himself, Roger really was stubborn. Who didn't know his sword Ace was one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Meito? No wonder people suspected Ace's identity when the D. name was revealed.
But now, Roger's sword was in Ortoren's home. And at least on the surface, Rouge and Ortoren had married in the South Blue, during the time Ortoren was secretly on a mission to capture Roger.
If he said he named his son Ace to commemorate capturing Roger and seizing the Meito Ace, it wouldn't sound unreasonable.
So Ortoren nodded. "Then Ace it is. But let's leave out the D. Treat it as a hidden name. From now on, he'll be Benn Portgas Ace. How about that?"
In this world, taking the mother's surname was perfectly normal. Hearing this, Rouge smiled with relief.
"Alright. Thank you for being so considerate."
"It's nothing," Ortoren waved it off.
Just then, Garp walked back from the baby's side and sat down beside Ortoren.
"I heard the Fleet Admiral mention yesterday—he's planning to station you in the New World."
"What? The Marines really don't pull punches, huh? My wife just gave birth, and they're sending me to the New World already?" Ortoren rolled his eyes with a smirk.
If he were to go to the New World, he definitely wouldn't bring his family. Robin and Lucci were both studying at Marineford, and Rouge had just given birth. The doctor had already instructed her to come in regularly for check-ups.
Besides, it was standard practice—when stationed in the New World, officers generally didn't bring their families, given how dangerous it was. Compared to that, Marine Headquarters was far safer.
"The Fleet Admiral did consider that," Garp said, "and planned to delay your transfer, letting Sakazuki hold the fort for a while longer. But I turned it down for you."
He wore a look that practically said, See? I did a good job, didn't I? Hurry up and praise me.
Ortoren stared at him in disbelief. "So you're actually proud of that?"
"Idiot!" Garp snapped, glaring at him. "Isn't this the perfect excuse? If you go to the New World, you won't have time to care for Rouge and the baby. For the next year or two, aside from official duties, it'll be nearly impossible to come back. Over time, the relationship grows distant. It's only natural for conflicts to arise between husband and wife, right? Then you can use that as your reason to declare the relationship broken and get divorced!"
Ortoren was dumbfounded. He stared at Garp in disbelief. "Holy shit, I didn't expect you to be so experienced at breaking people up! Now that I think about it, I know you have a son, but what about your wife?"
"You little brat, looking for a beating? Stop prying into things you shouldn't know!" Garp roared, his face dark with fury.
Watching Garp's reaction—like he'd explode if pressed further—Ortoren couldn't help but wonder if this "plan" of his came from personal experience.
Still, the logic was sound. After thinking it over, Ortoren nodded. "You're right. Let's do it your way."
But neither he nor Garp noticed the flicker of hesitation in Rouge's eyes as she listened.
She had indeed supported the plan before. Originally, she had intended to wait for the right time before "breaking off relations" with Ortoren. But after Ace was born, her thoughts shifted dramatically, even in such a short span of time.
Ace's biological father was already gone. If she divorced Ortoren, she figured the two of them would never cross paths again. That would mean Ace losing yet another father, even if only in name. And without Ortoren's protection as a Marine powerhouse, her and her child's safety would be in jeopardy.
Rouge could endure hardship herself—but she couldn't bear to let her child suffer at such a young age.
She quickly buried those thoughts, showing nothing outwardly. She knew they were selfish, unfair to Ortoren, and not something she could bring up. For now, all she could do was take things one step at a time.
...
After a few days of recovery, Rouge brought the baby back to Ortoren's house. The once quiet and empty place instantly filled with life.
Admiral Sengoku and Zephyr-sensei both came to visit Rouge and the child. Even Fleet Admiral Kong made time to stop by, cradling Ace affectionately and playing with him for a while.
As for Ortoren's close friends, that went without saying. Whenever they returned to headquarters, the first thing they did was drop by to join the fun. Kuzan, Momonga, and Issho all came several times.
And the red envelopes—they were generous. Ortoren's hands practically went numb from counting the money. More than once, he considered throwing a full-moon celebration and inviting every officer below his rank at headquarters.
After all, if the Vice Admiral's child had a full-moon banquet and you got an invitation, showing up didn't matter as much—but the money absolutely had to. Anyone who failed to send a gift could forget about surviving in Marine Headquarters afterward.
In the end, though, Ortoren managed to restrain himself and didn't go through with such flashy schemes.
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