On the tavern street of the Sabaody Archipelago, Tesoro came out of a back door hauling a trash barrel. With effort, he dumped it into the garbage bin.
He quickly returned the bin, which was nearly as tall as himself.
Not long after, he crouched beside the bin, counting a stack of tattered bills, his face lit with joy.
"Another two thousand Belly saved today. Almost there… just a little more… Stella..." Tesoro muttered, eyes full of longing for a better future.
But soon, worry crept across his face. Right now, he was renting a shabby little room in the lawless zone—barely big enough for a bed, with no space for anything else, not even a private bathroom.
Living alone wasn't a problem, since he worked seven jobs a day, running nonstop, and only needed the room to collapse in and sleep.
But if he were to live with Stella, it would never be enough. The thought weighed on him—at the very least, Stella deserved a place with a private bathroom.
For those struggling in poverty, dreams could be that simple. Even something as basic as a bathroom of their own could mean happiness.
"I'm a man. I can take all the hardship, but I won't let Stella suffer with me!" Tesoro drew a deep breath, his eyes firm with resolve. "Four hours of sleep a day is too much. If I cut it down to two and take on another job, that should be enough. With the extra pay, I could rent a place with a bathroom. Best if it's away from the lawless zone too—this place is dangerous..."
Just as he was working out what kind of job to take, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began ringing.
Tesoro carefully pulled out his most valuable possession. Seeing the shell's face, his expression brightened—it was Shakky!
In his eyes, Shakky was a powerful figure. Even the toughest men in the lawless zone respected her. More importantly, she looked out for him—giving him work like delivering alcohol and paying him well.
Tesoro answered quickly, his voice full of energy. "Big Sis Shakky, what do you need me for?"
On the other end, Shakky's calm voice came through. "If you're free, come over. There's a very important guest who wants to see you."
"A guest? Wants to see me?" Tesoro asked, puzzled.
"That's right. He asked for you by name. Don't know what kind of luck you've run into, kid, but if this big shot takes a liking to you, you could really hit it big. Now hurry over," Shakky teased with a laugh.
Still confused but trusting Shakky completely, Tesoro agreed right away.
He put the Den Den Mushi away, slipped off his shoes, stuffed the old bills into his socks, then stepped on them as he put his shoes back on. Only then did he feel secure.
He checked his reflection in the foul water of the gutter by the trash heap, quickly tidied his messy hair, and set off without delay toward Island 13.
...
Meanwhile, inside the tavern, Ortoren was chatting with Rayleigh.
"How did you even find me here? You didn't look surprised at all when you saw me..." Rayleigh asked curiously.
As a veteran, he had noticed right away that Ortoren must have known he was hiding here for a long time—he hadn't shown a hint of doubt or surprise at his presence.
Sipping his tea, Ortoren replied casually, "I've got my own sources. I know more than just about you. That ship's doctor, Crocus? Isn't he at Twin Cape now, hiding as a lighthouse keeper?"
"What?" Rayleigh looked shocked. "Even I didn't know that..."
"And Tom, the shipwright who built your ship—he's with us at G-5 now. I actually saved his life. If I hadn't stepped in, CP would've taken him out." Ortoren said it with a look that practically demanded thanks.
Rayleigh's face twitched. He had no interest in humoring Ortoren's bragging.
But Ortoren wasn't done. He leaned in and continued, "And over in East Blue, that Red Hair Pirates crew that just popped up—the straw-hat brat leading them? He used to tag along with you guys. I beat him up twice back then..."
The Red Hair Pirates really had started in East Blue. After Shanks and Buggy split up in Loguetown, Shanks didn't go straight back to being a pirate. He drifted around East Blue for a long while before, in 1500, finding Usopp's father, Yasopp, in Syrup Village. The two partnered up and officially formed the Red Hair Pirates.
"Alright, alright, enough. I get it, you're amazing..." Rayleigh interrupted quickly, exasperated.
He genuinely feared Ortoren would start rattling off the names of every Roger Pirates member one by one. Was this guy's intelligence network really that terrifying?
After a brief pause, Rayleigh couldn't hold back and asked, "So you're saying Roger was really captured by force after you found him?"
"Not exactly. We did find him on Baterilla Island, but we didn't arrest him right away. We Marines can be kind, you know? He was living happily with his wife, and since he was already terminally ill, we gave him time to put his affairs in order. Garp-san was heartbroken back then. Who would've thought Roger would play us for fools at Loguetown, setting off all this chaos on the seas? Tsk. If Garp-san could do it all over again, I bet he'd smash Roger's head in on the spot." Ortoren sneered.
Rayleigh ignored the rambling, focusing only on one point. His voice turned sharp. "What about Roger's wife?"
Ortoren calmly sipped his tea and said, "She's my wife now. Portgas D. Rouge. Legally, our marriage is protected."
Rayleigh: ???
Wait—what? Roger, you didn't just die tragically, you were utterly humiliated!
"How could you do something so vile!? You brat!" Rayleigh roared, glaring at Ortoren as if ready to attack.
To him, Ortoren was twisted. Did this man think Roger's sacrifice—using his life to usher in the Great Pirate Era—was some kind of betrayal against him and Garp? Was that why, after Roger's death, he had claimed Rouge, using her as a cruel form of revenge?
Even Shakky looked at Ortoren in shock, clearly thinking the same.
But Ortoren stayed calm, took another sip of tea, and grinned at Rayleigh. "She didn't just become my wife. She also gave me a strong, healthy son. His name is Benn Portgas D. Ace. Tell me, doesn't that sound nice?"
At those words, Rayleigh's fury froze into disbelief. He whispered, "Ace...?"
A moment later, something seemed to click. He slowly sat back on the sofa, his eyes on Ortoren filled with complicated emotions. After a long silence, he let out a sigh. "Well... thank you, then..."
"No need for thanks. I'm not some demon who takes pleasure in wiping out entire families. And more importantly..." Ortoren's tone turned serious as he looked at Rayleigh. "I firmly reject the idea of bloodline guilt. A person's worth isn't decided at birth. Roger was a pirate, but his child is innocent."
Rayleigh didn't argue. He leaned back, his face flickering between relief and sorrow, tangled in emotions.
Ortoren left him to it, quietly enjoying his tea and the tavern's mellow music.
Five or six minutes later, Rayleigh finally seemed to settle down. He looked at Ortoren and said, "If you ever need my help, you can come find me here."
"Your help? You'd be lucky if I didn't end up helping you!" Ortoren scoffed.
Rayleigh glared at him but let it drop. The message was clear enough.
Just then, there was a polite knock at the tavern door. Tesoro's cautious voice came from outside. "Big Sis Shakky, may I come in?"
"Oh, you're here? Come in!" Shakky called.
The door opened, and Ortoren saw Tesoro step inside. He wore a cheap, faded suit and had a head of green hair, moving stiffly and nervously as he entered.