As Yamamoto Mei had said, Rouge was, after all, a gentle woman.
She had defied nature itself to carry Roger's child for twenty long months, enduring the strain until her body gave out. The child, too, had perished, and the toll on her was almost unbearable.
In the face of all this, it seemed natural for her to sacrifice herself and her unborn child, choosing death over allowing more innocent lives to be lost at Daemon's hands.
"I thought you'd come out sooner," Daemon's voice echoed through the phone bug, playful yet laced with venom. "Had you come out earlier, perhaps the Rose Kingdom wouldn't have been reduced to ruins, would it?"
Rouge's voice, though cold, still held a trace of gentleness as she responded from the other end of the phone. "It's my fault. The tragedy can't be undone, but I can only stand up and face the consequences. I believe Roger would have agreed with my choice."
She had been quiet for a long time, her words carried the weight of deep sorrow. Beside her, Stussy and Vice Admiral Burning Mountain stood silently. Rouge's face was streaked with dried tears, her once clear and lively eyes now empty, dull with despair.
Her life held little meaning anymore. It wasn't that she didn't care for her life—she did. But when she thought of the innocent people who had perished by Daemon's hands and the child she carried, her heart shattered.
If she hadn't witnessed the devastation firsthand, she might have convinced herself that the Navy would protect the innocent. But after seeing the black thunder that tore through the skies and seas, she understood the truth.
If she didn't step forward, Daemon—this Celestial Dragon—would likely destroy the entire South Sea.
Daemon wasn't just a villain. He was a monster, a butcher with no regard for life. His cruelty was beyond words.
So, in the end, Rouge chose to end her suffering, stepping up to face whatever came next. After all, once she was gone, maybe her family could be reunited. Perhaps that would be the only solace in this world of chaos.
"Bring her here, Stussy," Daemon's voice came again, casual, as if he were giving an order for a simple chore.
"Yes, Daemon Saint," Stussy replied, her tone respectful.
Stussy respectfully hung up the phone and then turned her gaze to Rouge, her eyes playful as she observed the woman before her.
Rouge had long, blonde-pink hair that cascaded gracefully around her shoulders. Her figure was well-proportioned, her features delicate and soft.
The little freckles on her face only added to her charm, giving her an endearing playfulness that contrasted with her otherwise serene beauty.
Everything about her—her appearance, her personality, and her simple attire—spoke of innocence and purity. She looked like the quintessential "girl next door," but life had certainly not been kind to her.
Unfortunately, she wasn't living the life a lady should.
Stussy knew the story all too well. Rouge had met Roger, the legendary pirate, only for him to die far too soon. And now, because of Daemon's targeting, Rouge was destined for a life of unimaginable suffering.
Stussy could already picture the grim reality awaiting her. A woman like Rouge didn't belong in Daemon's world.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Rouge asked, uncomfortable under Stussy's examining gaze.
She frowned slightly. "Shouldn't you hurry up and take me over there? Do the public execution already, so the world can witness the tragic fate of Pirate King's wife?"
"Public execution?" Stussy blinked in surprise before bursting out into laughter.
"Hahaha! You really are a funny one!" she chuckled, finding the idea of Rouge's expectations amusing. Rouge, so pure and simple, had thought that Daemon would bother with such a spectacle—an execution for the world to see.
Rouge's face flushed with confusion, but a small part of her heart, once heavy with fear, began to relax. Could it be that... she was wrong? Maybe her fate wasn't to be displayed for the world to gawk at.
"Alas..." Lieutenant General Burning Mountain sighed, shaking his head in quiet understanding.
He had witnessed Daemon's madness firsthand. The Celestial Dragon was known for his cruelty, and it was clear that Rouge's surrender would lead to something far more twisted than a public execution.
The live broadcast of the surrender had caused a collective sigh of relief among many in the One Piece world. At least they didn't have to witness Daemon's destruction of the Rose Kingdom. For now, there was a temporary reprieve.
But the world's curiosity was piqued. What would the wife of the legendary Pirate King, Roger, look like? Would she be an ordinary woman, or a beauty beyond compare?
"Whoever she is, she must die."
"That's right. Pirate king's family shouldn't be allowed to live."
"This is revenge for Roger, and justice for all the innocent people who died."
Across the world, those sentiments rang out, growing louder by the day. Especially in the South Sea, where resentment towards Rouge ran high. They wondered why she had to hide in their waters. Why hadn't she gone elsewhere in the New World, or any of the other seas?
She was an evil spirit, a living reminder of their suffering.
The island of Barmoslila wasn't far from the Rose Kingdom's waters, and thanks to the speed of the Navy's warships, it didn't take long for Daemon to finally meet Pirate king's widow.
"This is Pirate King's wife?"
The onlookers on Daemon's ship couldn't hide their shock.
"She's beautiful... but... isn't she too... ordinary?"
They had expected a woman of extraordinary grace and power, someone who matched Roger's legacy. Instead, the young, pregnant woman standing before them was, in their eyes, just an unremarkable woman—lovely, certainly, but nothing more.
In fact, Rouge looked like the perfect girl next door, the kind you'd never expect to have such a tragic past.
Meanwhile, in a chat group, Miyuki Uchiha was growing increasingly agitated.
Miyuki Uchiha: "Ahhh!"
Miyuki Uchiha: "Damn it! I really envy His Highness Daemon!"
Sakura Tosaka: "... Sister Miyuki, are all good married women this scary?"
Erina Nakiri: "Wait... this is the wife of the most vicious man in the world?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "Ah, seeing this picture, it stirs up the kind of protective instincts men crave."
Luo Hao: "You all better prepare yourselves. The real battle is just beginning."
Yamamoto Mei: "Yeah, just like when I took on the Golden Lion."
Esdeath: "I'm ready to take on Rayleigh the dark king!"
Jibril: "Seems like Daemon and I share some similarities. He collects powerful trophies, and I collect the heads of the strong. But he seems to collect their wives instead."
Erina Nakiri: "Pfft—that's one way to put it!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha: "...But it's not wrong. It's the perfect display of Mr. World Aristocracy as a scumbag."
Daemon couldn't help but chuckle at Utaha's words. He was strangely tolerant of this girl's teasing, even if she had started calling him by nicknames. But he knew he had bigger matters to deal with at the moment.
After all, the girl who had caught his attention was standing before him—Portgas D. Rouge, the widow of the late Pirate King.
Daemon's voice was cold as ever, lacking any sign of warmth. "Portgas D. Rouge, kneel!"
Rouge's body froze. A fleeting flash of humiliation crossed her face, but she didn't resist. She had already prepared herself for the worst. Slowly, she kneeled before Daemon.
Daemon's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Good."
But he wasn't done. His next command came swiftly. "Crawl to me."
A tremor ran through Rouge's body. She couldn't speak. But as if to protect the child growing in her womb, she began crawling toward Daemon, the very picture of humiliation. She had already prepared herself to die, so her pride had long been discarded. Still, it hurt.
In the New World, Whitebeard and his crew were watching the live broadcast, their faces burning with rage.
Whitebeard:
"Bastard! Insulting Roger's wife like this!"
His fury was palpable. A single punch, wrapped in the power of his Devil Fruit, struck the sea, sending violent waves crashing in every direction.
Marco, Jozu, and the other captains seethed in anger, each of them cursing Daemon for his disgraceful treatment of a pregnant woman. They couldn't believe their eyes.
But not everyone shared the same sentiment. In a dark corner, Blackbeard watched the broadcast with a mixture of envy and ambition in his eyes.
Blackbeard:
"So, this is what the Celestial Dragons can do… Such power... I need that Dark Fruit."
Far beneath the surface of the sea, Rayleigh, who had been waiting patiently for the right moment to strike, was beside himself with fury. His face was flushed with rage.
Rayleigh:
"Bastard! How dare you humiliate Roger's wife!"
His grip on his sword tightened, and his body was a blur of motion as he surged out of the water, his sword drawn. The legendary Dark King of the Sea was no longer willing to hold back.
Above them, in the 10,000-meter-high sky, the Golden Lion watched the unfolding scene with a grin. He had long been eager to strike, but he was biding his time, waiting for Daemon to reveal his true intentions.
Golden Lion Shiki:
"So the Celestial Dragon wants to humiliate Roger's wife rather than kill her, huh? This could work in my favor. I'll make sure Roger realizes the value of allies… If only he had accepted my invitation sooner."
What Shiki didn't know was that Roger, the Pirate King, was already dead, slain by Daemon in an underwater prison. The once legendary figure had become just another trophy for Daemon's collection.
Meanwhile, in front of Daemon, Rouge had crawled all the way to him, exhausted, her sweat glistening on her forehead. She looked like a broken woman, but there was a fire in her eyes that was hard to ignore.
Daemon's gaze softened for a moment as he looked at the young woman before him. "You're more obedient than I expected. Not like before your surrender."
Rouge said nothing, her expression blank, but inside, the pain was evident. She hated every moment of this, yet she knew her fate was sealed. The child inside her was the only thing she could protect now.
Daemon's eyes shifted toward her swollen belly. "This is your beloved child, isn't it?"
He leaned in closer, his voice cold yet laced with a malicious edge. "Do you want your child to live as a slave of the Celestial Dragons, forced to suffer in the darkness?"
Rouge's eyes widened in shock, her face flushing with anger. The words cut deeper than any physical wound. The child was her everything. Daemon had hit her where it hurt the most, and she couldn't hold back the hate that welled up inside her.
Daemon smiled darkly, his hand gently lifting her chin. "That's the look I was waiting for. It's good to see you're still alive inside."
His palm grazed her skin as he bent down and kissed her—a kiss filled with mockery and dominance.
Rouge's eyes filled with tears, but she couldn't fight him. Her body was too weak to resist. All she could do was accept the painful reality.
"Good girl," Daemon whispered, his voice full of amusement.
The world watched in stunned silence. What had they just witnessed?
In the sky above, the Golden Lion couldn't help but chuckle, eagerly awaiting the moment when Roger would be forced to acknowledge his alliance with Shiki.
Meanwhile, Rayleigh, his fury only growing, was not about to let this insult stand. With his sword drawn, he was ready to make Daemon pay—no matter the cost.
Seeing his dear friend's wife subjected to such humiliation, Rayleigh couldn't help but get it hard... to contain his rage. If he were to keep his composure any longer, he would no longer deserve the title of the Dark King of the Sea.
"Celestial Dragon brat, you will pay for this!" Rayleigh's voice thundered with fury.
Without hesitation, he drew his sword with a swift motion, the blade gleaming as he lunged forward. His eyes locked on Daemon, a seething fire in them.
"Die, you bastard!" With a roar, he swung his blade toward Daemon, his strike aimed at the heart of the cruel man who dared dishonor his fallen comrade's family.
"Divine Departure——!!" The air seemed to crackle with the force of his rage as the blade sliced through the space between them.
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