Chapter Text
Buggy woke up with a start.
The last thing he remembered was Crocodile and Mihawk beating him until everything had gone black. He could still hear their voices in his head, talking about how he wasn't needed anymore and how they should get rid of him quickly.
So, naturally, Buggy had tried to escape, but it hadn't exactly gone well.
He had been no match for a literal man made of sand on a massive island, let alone the world's most famous marine hunter. He had begged them to spare him, insisting that he could still be useful, but somehow, his pleas had only seemed to make their punches harder.
Buggy groaned and slowly sat up.
He was in a small room. It was almost completely empty, containing nothing but the old bed he was lying on and a pile of clothes shoved against one wall. A window stood beside the bed, offering a view of nothing but the endless sea.
“Gyahahaha! The great Buggy is victorious once again!” He threw his arms into the air “My loyal followers probably found me and rescued me from those assholes!” Buggy jumped out of bed, ready to find his crew and celebrate their miraculous escape.
Then he stopped. Something was wrong, he didn't feel any pain.
Buggy looked himself over. There were no bruises. No cuts. No broken bones. Nothing. Considering what had happened before he'd blacked out, he should have been covered in injuries.
He frowned. Whatever, he'd deal with that later, nothing was going to ruin his good mood.
Buggy stepped out of the room and immediately noticed something else, the ship was quiet, far too quiet.
His followers weren't exactly known for being calm. If they had rescued him, the ship should have been filled with shouting, crying, celebrating, and probably several people arguing over who had saved the great Captain Buggy.
Instead, there was nothing.
Buggy slowly climbed the stairs to the deck, a strange feeling of dread began creeping into his stomach.
Maybe he hadn't escaped after all. Maybe this was the afterlife.
He stepped outside. Endless blue stretched in every direction. Blue sky above him, blue sea below him. No island, no ship, no crew. Not a single living person.
Buggy's eyes widened.
“No”
He immediately ran back downstairs and began checking every room. There was nothing, nobody.
He searched the entire ship, growing more frantic with every empty room. Eventually, he returned to the deck. He was alone. Completely, utterly alone. and he had absolutely no idea where he was.
Buggy pinched himself as hard as he could.
“Ow!”
Definitely not a dream, but probably not dead, either.
Before he could figure out what that meant, a strong gust of wind swept across the deck. A piece of paper came flying toward him and smacked directly into his face.
“Gwa! What the hell is this?!”
Buggy pulled the newspaper away, furious. He was already preparing to tear it apart when his eyes caught the headline Search for Gol D. Roger’s child continues Buggy froze.
He stared at the words, then he read them again and again. His expression slowly changed.
“No...”
The newspaper looked brand new.
That was impossible. Everyone knew who Roger's child was. Ace, Portgas D. Ace, but he was dead. Buggy had been there, he had watched it happen. The whole world had watched it happen, so why were the Marines still searching for him?
He desperately searched for the date. The moment he found it, his face went pale.
“No, no, no...”
This couldn't be real, it had to be some kind of sick joke.
Buggy looked down, his hands were shaking, and they looked small. Much smaller than they should have been. His breathing stopped.
He rushed downstairs and frantically began searching for a mirror until he found what appeared to be a bathroom. Buggy looked at his reflection, and froze. The face staring back at him was his own, but younger, much younger. The harsh lines that had slowly appeared on his face over the years were gone. His features were softer, his body smaller, and his face still carried the unmistakable innocence of childhood.
Buggy stared at himself for several seconds, then he took a shaky breath.
“Calm down” He pointed at his reflection “You are the great Buggy. This is probably some kind of Devil Fruit ability. O-or something else” His reflection looked just as uncertain as he felt “There has to be an explanation”
There wasn't much else he could do. So Buggy straightened his clothes, put on his best confident expression, and went back onto the deck. If he'd really been sent back in time, then he needed information, and preferably an island.
—-
It took some time, but eventually Buggy reached a small port. He could immediately feel people staring at him. It was probably the first time in a while that anyone in the area had seen a ship, even one as small as his.
Buggy climbed off and started walking toward the town. He had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to ask his questions. He needed the date, the year, specifically. How was he supposed to ask someone that without sounding completely insane?
After a few minutes of wandering, he spotted a bar.
Perfect, if there was anywhere where asking strange questions wouldn't immediately get him thrown out, it was probably a bar.
Besides, Buggy knew firsthand how much nonsense drunk people were capable of saying. He'd spent plenty of nights talking about complete nonsense with Shanks after stealing a bottle during parties while the rest of the crew was distracted by the alcohol.
Buggy pushed open the door and almost immediately, everyone looked at him. He opened his mouth, he was about to shout What red-nose!, but the barkeeper was faster.
“Hello, sweetie! What can I help you with today? I can't serve you alcohol, obviously, but we have food. I can't promise it's good, though” Right, Buggy had forgotten. He was a child now and apparently this small town took underage drinking very seriously.
Buggy walked toward the counter, that was when he got a proper look at the bartender. He stopped, she was beautiful. Not like Alvida, her beauty was the kind that made men turn their heads when she walked past. This woman's beauty was softer, it wasn't immediately overwhelming, you had to actually look at her to notice all the little details. Her long blonde hair framed her face. Freckles dotted her cheeks, making her striking red eyes stand out even more. And she had one of the warmest, kindest smiles Buggy had ever seen.
Buggy realized he was staring and he quickly looked away and took a seat at the bar. The woman was still smiling at him.
“Right. Anyway” He cleared his throat “Do you know what date it is?” She raised an eyebrow and Buggy hurried on “I just came back from a very long trip, and I kind of forgot the date. And the year. Actually, could you also tell me what sea we're in?”
By the time he finished, the entire question had come out as one enormous sentence. The bartender stared at him for a while and Buggy started to fear she was going to kick him out, when she started laughing.
“I have to say, that's one of the strangest questions I've gotten in a while” Buggy's face heated up “If you've just come back from a long trip, you must be hungry, right? Let me get you something to eat before we start talking” She disappeared through a door behind the counter and Buggy sat there, embarrassed.
A few minutes later, she returned with a slice of pie.Buggy took a bite, he immediately regretted it, calling it food was generous. Only after he'd finished did the woman finally tell him what he wanted to know and Buggy's face went pale.
The bartender immediately looked concerned, she asked if he was alright and that it probably was the pie, so she let Buggy leave without paying. But Buggy knew the reason he looked sick, and it was definitely not the pie, it was the fact that he had apparently gone back in time shortly after Roger's execution.
—-
Buggy didn't remember how he got back to his ship. He didn't remember how long he'd spent lying in bed, either. When he finally got up again, the sky outside had turned gold, the sun was setting. Normally, Buggy would have appreciated the view, but right now, he couldn't care less.
He laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling. How had this happened? Was this someone's Devil Fruit ability? If so, how was he supposed to break it? And then another thought occurred to him.
Did he even want to go back? Sure, he had been an Emperor, technically. But his associates were always beating him up, they'd even tried to kill him, they might have actually succeeded.
Maybe this was the universe apologizing to him. Maybe he'd been given another chance. A chance to fix everything. He had all the knowledge of the future, he could build the strongest crew in the world. He could find the most powerful pirates from the future before they make a name for themself and convince them to follow him instead. He could change everything.
Buggy sat up, he began listing the strongest crews he remembered. The Four Emperors, Shanks, Luffy Blackbeard and himself. He immediately grimaced. “Ahhh, none of those are good options” Blackbeard was obviously out of the question. Shanks was even worse “I am definitely not sailing under that asshole! And that Luffy brat was so annoying!”
Buggy threw his limbs across the room in frustration, his head flew across the deck, and smacked into the floor. Great, now his head hurt, could this get any worse.
He was about to give up when his eyes landed on the newspaper he'd left on the floor, and then he had an idea. Buggy slowly smiled, “That's it” He gathered his part again and picked up the newspaper “I could find Ace” He paused “Or his mother” Ace hadn't even been born yet.
Buggy knew Ace from his previous life. The kid had been pretty nice, much nicer than his little brother. And he was part of Whitebeard's crew. If Buggy found him now, he could become his older brother. That meant protection from Whitebeard, and, eventually, protection from the Straw Hats too. Maybe he could even convince some of their future crew members to join him. Buggy's grin grew wider.
“Gyahahahaha! This is perfect!” He could build his own crew, become a powerful captain, and have the protection of two of the strongest crews in the world without ever having to deal with either of them. What could possibly go wrong? With his new plan he marched back onto the deck and stopped in front of the wheel, then stared at it. Where did he even start?
He sighed, he decided to start with the newspaper. Maybe there was something useful in the article. He read it, then read it again, then a third time. Nothing, the Marines were just as clueless as he was about where the child was. But Buggy had an advantage, he knew Ace's full name, Portgas D. Ace. He assumed he'd taken Portgas from his mother and he knew Ace was Luffy's brother. Which meant his mother was probably somewhere in East Blue.
“Aghhh! This is impossible!” Buggy threw the newspaper down “I don't even know what she looks like!” And he wasn't even in the right sea. Somehow, he'd ended up on an island called Baterilla in South Blue. He'd never even been out of East Blue before being sent to Impel Down, not counting his time with Roger. So why had he woken up here? The more he thought about it, the more impossible everything seemed. Even if he were in East Blue, what were the chances of actually finding Ace's mother?
Buggy slumped, maybe there was no point, maybe he'd just have to relive his previous life all over again, maybe he was destined to be everyone's punching bag.
“No” He stood up “I would rather die than go through that again” He pointed dramatically toward the sky “I am the great Buggy! The genius jester! I will find her!” His grin returned “I just need to ask around. I'll find her in no time! Gyahahahaha!” With renewed determination, Buggy returned to town.
His first stop was the bar, the bartender was cleaning a table when he entered and she looked up.
“Oh, it's you again” She smiled “Here for more weird questions? Don't worry, I won't offer you any more pie. I do hope you're feeling better, though” The way she smiled at him was strange, like she was looking at someone she already cared about. Not a complete stranger she'd only met for a few minutes.
Buggy walked up to the counter, he did in fact have another weird question.
“Do you know a Portgas D. by any chance?”The woman's smile widened at his question.
“Well, you're in luck” She held out a hand “I'm Portgas D. Rouge. Nice to properly meet you, Buggy” Buggy's jaw dropped. He had done it, he'd actually done it. His eyes immediately dropped to her stomach, he'd found Ace.
“We should probably have this conversation somewhere more private” Rouge gestured toward one of the chairs “I'm just closing up. Could you wait a few minutes?” Buggy nodded and sat down. He had a lot to think about, Rouge was the woman Roger had spent his final days with. He had probably been in this very bar. To Buggy, twenty four years had passed since Roger's death but he still remembered how difficult those days after Captain's execution had been. If the Buggy from his past had been sitting here now he was pretty sure he would have been crying already.
Before he could get any more emotional, Rouge returned.
“All done. We can go now” Buggy stood up, as he followed her, he couldn't help noticing her stomach again. The bump was small, but unmistakable.
They walked in silence until they reached her home. Rouge opened the door and gestured for him to enter. The moment Buggy stepped inside, he felt something he hadn't expected. Warmth, the house felt lived in, loved. There were flowers everywhere, along with colorful pillows and blankets. It was the kind of place that actually felt like a home. Maybe he understood a little bit better why Roger decided to stay here.
Then a loud crash came from another room. A door flew open and a huge man in a Marine uniform stepped out.
“Rouge, are you back alre-” Buggy froze, he knew that face, how could he not? Captain had fought this man countless times. He'd seen him almost as often as he'd seen Whitebeard.
“Garp?!” Buggy instinctively reached for one of his knives but his hand found nothing. Right, his younger self hadn't learned how to hide weapons yet. Buggy immediately took a step backward.
“Bwahahaha! If it isn't one of Roger's kids!” Garp grinned “What are you doing here? Where's the other one?” Buggy looked ready to run.
“Calm down, Buggy” Rouge placed a hand on his shoulder “He isn't here as a Marine” She looked toward Garp “Right?”
“Right, bwahahaha!” Garp laughed but Buggy remained unconvinced.
“Have you eaten yet?” Rouge asked. “Garp made dinner. Why don't you eat something while we talk?”
“Fine” Buggy reluctantly sat down. He was still on high alert, but seeing how calm Rouge was made it a little easier to relax.
Rouge and Garp disappeared into the other room and a few seconds later, they returned carrying another set of dishes and a huge casserole.
Rouge served everyone before sitting across from Buggy and they began eating. For several minutes, nobody said anything. Buggy stared at them, but they continued eating, so he slammed his hands against the table.
“Weren't you going to explain everything once we sat down?!” Rouge put down her spoon.
“I was hoping you'd eat a little first” She smiled “But if you want to talk now, just ask anything you want” Buggy immediately pointed toward Garp.
“First of all, are you sure he should be here?” Garp raised an eyebrow “He's a Marine! A known enemy of pirates!” Rouge nodded.
“Yes, I know what he is” She looked at Garp “And yes, he can stay. Roger specifically asked him to be here” Buggy blinked. He knew Roger and Garp respected each other, despite being on opposite sides, but he hadn't expected Roger to trust him with something this important.
“If Captain wants him here, then it's okay” Buggy narrowed his eyes at Garp “But I'm still keeping an eye on you” He tried to give Garp the most intimidating glare he could manage but it probably wasn't very convincing.
“Bwahahaha! I like your spirit, kid! Wanna fight?” Garp immediately stood and Buggy disappeared under the table.
“You can do that later” Rouge giggled like she was enjoying the exchange “After we've answered all of Buggy's questions. And please don't fight inside the house. I don't want another broken vase” She looked at Buggy “Please continue” Buggy slowly crawled back into his chair, he cleared his throat.
“You're carrying Captain's child, right?”
“Yes” Rouge gently rested a hand against her stomach “This is Roger's child” She smiled “When Roger first came here, I didn't know who he was. This island is small and far away from most of the others. Most pirates ignore it, so there wasn't much reason for us to pay attention to the news” Her smile softened “I think that's why he liked it here so much. Nobody cared who he was or where he came from” She looked down at her belly “Eventually, we fell in love, and then we found out I was pregnant.”
“Is that why Captain handed himself in?” Buggy had wondered about that for years. Roger could have stayed hidden forever if he'd wanted to. So why had he allowed himself to be captured?
“Yes” Rouge's expression became sad “He knew he would always be hunted and he didn't want to put me or the baby at risk” She hesitated “But somehow, the news about his child got out. When Roger surrendered, he asked Garp to take care of me while I was pregnant. He knew Garp wouldn't blame a child for their parents actions.”
Buggy knew immediately that this was his chance.
“I want to help too, that's why I came here. When I heard that Captain's child was being hunted, I knew I had to find him” Rouge's expression softened.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm, Buggy, but I don't want to put that kind of burden on you” She smiled gently “You're still young. You should enjoy your life, go on adventures.”
Buggy smiled, he already had everything planned. He would sail, and form a crew, while making regular stops in Baterilla to visit Rouge and Ace. He'd make sure Ace remembered him so by the time Ace was old enough to leave, Buggy would already be a respected captain. And once Ace joined Whitebeard… Buggy's grin widened, his plan was perfect.
“Don't worry. I'll still go on adventures” He put on his most innocent expression “But I'll come back to visit you and the baby” Garp laughed.
“Bwahahaha! If that's what you're planning, then I'll have to refuse. I can't let a pirate come and go freely while I'm here. You don't have a bounty yet, but if you're planning on becoming a pirate, I'll have to hand you in” Buggy's entire body stiffened. He couldn't get captured already! There was no way he was going back to Impel Down.
“He's right Buggy” Rouge looked at him apologetically “We can't draw attention to this place. A pirate ship certainly wouldn't help. The less people who know about this island, the better.” Buggy reluctantly shut his mouth. He needed a new plan.
“It's already late” Rouge continued. “Why don't you sleep here? I have a spare bed. Tomorrow, we can talk more” Buggy nodded and Rouge showed him to the spare room.
The moment she left, Buggy threw himself onto the bed. It was much more comfortable than the one on his ship. Unfortunately, he couldn't go to sleep yet, he had a lot to think about.
Garp being here meant he couldn't start his journey as a pirate, at least not yet. But Rouge had said Roger had only asked Garp to stay while she was pregnant. Eventually, he would have to return to the Marines. That meant Buggy only had to wait until the baby was born. The search for Ace couldn't possibly last much longer. Pregnancies lasted nine months and Rouge had already been pregnant for a while. What could possibly go wrong? With his new and improved plan, Buggy finally fell asleep.
—-
The next morning, Buggy woke to the sound of Garp's laughter.
“Bwahahaha! Wake up, boy! Breakfast's ready!” Buggy groaned. His plan might already be in danger if this was going to be how he woke up every morning.
He'd slept in the same clothes he'd worn the previous day, so after quickly break to the bathroom, he went downstairs. Rouge was already sitting at the table, eating toast.
“Good morning, Buggy. I hope you slept well” She was far too cheerful for this early in the morning.
“I was sleeping perfectly fine until that brute started shouting outside my door”
Rouge laughed.
“I think he keeps things entertaining. It would be awfully quiet here without him” Buggy stared at her like she needed to be locked down for thinking such a thing, and Rouge laughed again.
“Come on. Sit down and have some breakfast.”
Buggy sat across from her and after a moment, Rouge looked at him.
“So, Buggy. Tell me, how did you even manage to find me?” Buggy stiffened “I can't imagine it was easy. Garp made sure to hide this place very well” She smiled “You really are amazing. Just like Roger always said.”
“Captain talked about me?” Buggy's voice came out much more excited than he'd intended.
“Of course” Rouge laughed “It was practically all he talked about. You, Shanks, the rest of the crew. He told me about all the adventures you went on, and especially all the trouble you and Shanks used to get into” Her smile softened “He loved you very much, Buggy.” He could feel his eyes start to water “And I'm sure he'd be very proud of everything you've accomplished” Buggy looked away. He had never doubted that Roger loved them. But hearing someone else say it still meant more than he expected.
“Captain did so much for me, he took me in and raised me like I was his own” He paused “So when I saw that he had a child and the World Government was after him, I thought the least I could do was protect him” He felt a little guilty, using his past like this, when in his previous life, he didn't spare a single thought to Captain's possible child “My Devil Fruit is very useful for listening in on people's conversations, it took a while but I found a clue about where Captain went after he left, one thing led to another and I heard the name Portgas D, but I never thought I would find you so quickly” Buggy really hoped she did not ask for the details, because he had not thought that far ahead.
“That is really impressive. And you did all of that on your own?” Rouge smiled.
Before Buggy could answer, Garp walked out of the kitchen carrying another plate of food.
“Speaking of that, where's your other half?” Buggy choked on his water.
“M-my what!?”
“I was trying to be subtle, Garp” Rouge frowned and turned to Buggy.
“You don't have to tell us what happened. But if you ever want to talk, just know we'll listen.” Buggy's face had turned as red as his nose both from embarrassment and lack of air, but eventually he calmed down enough to talk.
“Nothing happened, we just decided it would be best to go our separate ways, we were too different” He knew it wasn't true, but if he admitted to Rouge that Shanks and him had a fight she would not let him stay, thinking it is just a way to avoid Shanks. But, it was also not totally a lie, in the past he would have tried to avoid talking about Shanks, still to hurt over what happened, but after seeing where their lives had taken them, he could admit it was for the best they went on their own. Afterall, their ideals of what being a pirate meant had always been too different.
“And don't call him my other half” Buggy glared at Garp “We were never like that” He tried to look angry. Unfortunately, he was still out of breath, and his face was still bright red.
Garp shrugged.
“Wasn't trying to imply anything. I just meant you two were always together. Couldn't have one without the other” He grabbed a piece of bread “Like a package deal.”
“Well, I'm glad you two aren't fighting” Rouge smiled “Roger would have been sad. He always imagined the two of you sailing together, but what mattered most to him was that you were happy”
Buggy's chest tightened. How would Roger have felt if he found out they would go on to not even talk to each other for twenty two years.
“Anyway” Buggy quickly changed the subject “I've been thinking about what you said yesterday” Rouge looked at him “I think I want to stay here.”
“Buggy, I-”
“It won't be forever!” He quickly cut her off “Just til the baby is born. I know Garp helps you around the house, but what about the bar? You're going to need help soon if you don't want to close it.” He gave her his most determined expression “Please, it's the least I can do after everything Captain did for me.”
Rouge looked conflicted. She did need help, Garp was far too large to move comfortably between tables and serve customers. And, despite everything, Rouge genuinely wanted to spend more time with Buggy, but she didn't want him putting his dreams on hold for her.
“Bwahahaha!” Garp laughed “Let the kid stay. He's clearly made up his mind, nothing you say is going to convince him to leave” He looked toward Buggy “And if he's going to wander around town anyway, the least he can do is help a little” Buggy stared at him, maybe Garp wasn't completely useless after all.
“Fine” Rouge sighed, with two against one she wasn't winning this argument.
Buggy grinned, his first step was complete. The rest would be easy.
—-
For the next few months, Buggy settled into a routine.
He woke up every morning, ate breakfast with Rouge and Garp, and then went to the bar. Most of his work consisted of sweeping floors, cleaning tables, moving boxes, and handling anything too heavy for Rouge.
He also made sure she took regular breaks. He did learn a few things from Oden's wife afterall, like how a pregnant woman shouldn't be on her feet for too long.
Around lunchtime, Garp would stop by and the three of them would eat a proper meal together before they returned to work.
At night, after cleaning the bar, they would go back to Rouge's house for dinner and sometimes Buggy would help Garp cook and he turned out to be pretty good at it. Eventually, Rouge put him in charge of preparing the bar's food, so it was actually edible.
For moments, Buggy would even forget the reason he had stayed here and just enjoy the time he shared with Rouge and the rest of the townspeople, even Garp was starting to become more tolerable.
But as the months passed, something began bothering him. Buggy may not know much about pregnancy, never really paying much attention during Crocus lessons. But he knew one thing, pregnancy lasted nine months.
Rouge had already been pregnant for at least a couple of months when he'd arrived. Her stomach had been noticeably rounded even then. Yet Buggy had now been here for an entire year, and the baby still hadn't been born. More concerningly, Rouge was becoming weaker every day.
When Buggy mentioned it to Garp, he explained that Rouge was deliberately delaying the baby's birth until the search had stopped, she needed to make sure they would be safe.
As time went on, Rouge became weaker and weaker, to the point she could barely leave the bed. The bar had been closed for months now, and Buggy spent most of his time beside her, telling her stories and showing her new tricks he came up with.
Until one morning, everything changed. After breakfast, Buggy went out to collect the newspaper. It was their only reliable way of knowing how the Marines' search was progressing. To reduce the risk of anyone discovering the island, Garp had completely cut off communication with Marine Headquarters. He claimed that any unnecessary communication would only interfere with his mission.
Buggy expected another headline about the search continuing, maybe a new lead or information information. Instead, when he saw the headline, he froze, Search for Gol D. Roger’s child ended. Buggy's eyes widened.
He sprinted all the way back to the house, up the stairs and straight into Rouge's room. He didn't even knock. Rouge looked up, already preparing to scold him for barging into a woman's room without permission, when Buggy nearly shoved the newspaper into her face.
“Look!”
Rouge blinked, she took the paper from him and read the headline. For a moment, neither of them spoke and then they both started crying. Buggy threw his arms around her. The search was over, Ace could finally be born.
Garp came running into the room after hearing the commotion, he was confused seeing Rouge and Buggy crying and hugging each other.
Until, his eyes landed on the newspaper, and Garp walked over and pulled them both into a crushing hug.
“You are choking me!” Buggy struggled against his grip.
“Bwahahaha!” Garp laughed “I'm finally going to be a grandfather!” He carefully lowered Rouge back onto the bed and Buggy immediately took advantage of the opportunity to cut himself in half and escape Garp's arms.
“Why would you be the grandfather?” Buggy frowned. If he was going to be Ace's big brother, then that meant Garp would technically be his grandfather too. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
Garp opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, a scream came from the bed.
They both turned, Rouge was pale and sweat covered her face. The sheets beneath her were suddenly wet and Garp's expression changed instantly.
“Kid!” Buggy stared at him “Get a bucket of warm water and every towel you can find!” Garp had never sounded so serious.
Buggy didn't even have time to process what was happening before Garp practically threw him out of the room.
—-
Hours later, a baby's cry finally filled the house. A healthy baby boy had been born. Garp carefully wrapped him in a clean towel and carried him over to Rouge.
She looked exhausted. She had already been weak from carrying the baby for twenty months, and the birth had taken whatever strength she had left. She smiled anyway.
“His name will be Ace” She gently caressed his black hair, touching each of his freckles.
“Ace?” Buggy stared at the baby “Like Captain's sword?” He looked at Rouge “You really are terrible at naming things”
“Don't be disrespectful” Garp punched him in the head and Rouge laughed.
For a moment, everything felt normal, warm, happy. Then Rouge extended her arms toward Buggy.
“Here. Hold him” Buggy froze. He had never held a baby before.
“I-” He stared at the tiny bundle “I'll pass” He backed away “Why don't you give him to Garp?” Ace was just so small, what if Buggy dropped him? Or hurt him? He wasn't ready for this.
Rouge ignored his protests and gently pushed Ace into his arms until Buggy didn't have any other option, but to grab him.
“You see?” Rouge smiled “It's not so bad.”
Buggy looked down. Ace was tiny, ridiculously tiny. Then Buggy noticed something. Rouge was struggling to breathe, and her face had gone even paler.
“Rouge?” She barely seemed to hear him.
“Now, Buggy” Her voice was weak “Promise me you'll make sure he grows up with happy memories” Buggy's eyes widened “And that he never doubts how loved he is” Her eyelids began to droop “Promise me, Buggy” She grabbed his arm. Despite how weak she looked, her grip was surprisingly strong and Buggy's throat tightened.
“Yes” He nodded quickly “Yes, I promise” The moment the words left his mouth, her hand went limp and her eyes closed.
“Rouge?” Buggy stared at her “Rouge, open your eyes” Nothing.
Garp rushed forward and moved Buggy out of the way. He started checking for any sign from Rouge “Rouge, can you open your eyes? Rouge? Are you listening to me?”
Buggy stood frozen, he couldn't look away, he couldn't move. Then, a cry, Buggy blinked and looked down. Ace, he'd forgotten he was still holding him, he was crying, moving restlessly. Buggy tried to calm him, but Ace wouldn't stop, no matter what Buggy did, almost as though he somehow knew exactly what was happening and Buggy hugged him closer.