“Milianna was it… Congratulations, you gave birth to a healthy baby boy!”

In the back of a horse-drawn carriage, a beautiful but pale-faced woman with long dark hair was lying on her back with her legs spread in front of her. It was clear from the shaking of her body that she was in pain, but she didn’t seem to care. Her eyes were solely focused on the baby being held by the older woman standing in front of her.

The older woman looked down with the gentlest of smiles at the baby in her arms before gently lowering him into his mother’s arms.

As soon as she held her child for the first time, tears of joy started streaming down Milianna’s face. “My son, you’re my son! I promise to shower you with my love until I die, my beautiful baby boy!”

“Does your beautiful baby boy have a name, or…?”

Hearing the older woman’s question brought Milianna out of her daydream as she smilingly replied. “Ace, his name’s Ace!”

“Just Ace? No last name?”

“…”

“Forget I said anything; it’s not my place.” The elderly midwife said, sensing that it was a sensitive topic from the frown lines threatening to ruin Milianna’s almost angelic face.

“It’s fine,” Milianna replied softly as she looked down lovingly at the little boy in her arms. “And no, no last name, just Ace.”

“Ace is a fine name! Let me leave you two, mother and son, in peace. You guys can have the carriage to yourselves for the rest of the journey. We’ll be arriving at Wushan Town in the next few hours.” The elderly woman explained as she made her way to the carriage exit preparing to leave.

“No, we’ve imposed on you eno…”

Milianna tried to force herself to stand, but after giving birth, she was far too drained. The Midwife made sure to ease her down gently as she gently scolded the new mother.

“You’ve just given birth; you are barely strong enough to stand, let alone walk, whilst carrying a newborn. Just be obedient and stay put. Plus, I should really stretch these old bones of mine every once in a while.”

“Thank you, Ma’am!”

“We’re way past ma’am; I just yanked a human out of your lady parts, for God’s sake. Just call me Surielle!”

“Thank you, Surielle!”

Hearing that, the old Midwife left the carriage, allowing Milianna alone to be with her baby.

She looked down at her newborn with nothing but love and affection whilst the baby in question looked back up at her with nothing but confusion.

‘WHAT THE FUCK?!’ Ace screamed in his mind as he looked left and right, scanning the carriage for anything that could give him the answers he so desperately wanted. ‘Where am I? What exactly happened to me?!

The last thing I remember, I was about to breathe my last breath in Luffy’s…

Wait, LUFFY!’

“WAAAAH!”

As he remembered the position he left Luffy in, he couldn’t help but break down in tears, unable to restrain his emotions. ‘I need to get back; Luffy needs me!’

Ace tried his best to free himself from the strange woman holding him, but he was too weak to do much of anything right now.

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Seeing Ace confused and in tears broke her heart, but it didn’t stop her from showering him with her love and affection. “There there, Mommy’s here. It’s okay, shh.”

Ace couldn’t understand a word she was saying, but it clicked when he felt the warmth of her embrace. ‘She’s my mother? I… I have a mother?’

His tears stopped as he took another look at the face of the woman holding him. A warmth spread from his chest that seemed to touch every fibre of his being.

‘So this is how a mother’s embrace feels… It’s not so bad!’ As he thought to there, Ace drifted off with a content smile on his face.

Seeing him sleeping with a smile on his adorable little face made Milianna happier than she’d been for as long as she could remember.

“We don’t need anyone else, my sweet, sweet boy. As long as we have each other, we’ll be okay.”

By the time Ace woke up, he noticed they had left the carriage and were now in a small room that held nothing but the bed they were lying on. The only thing that remained the same was that he was still in his mother’s arms.

‘So this is my mother?’ Ace thought to himself as he studied her face, trying to etch every detail into his memories.

After losing himself in the warmth of his mother’s arms, he looked out the window in the corner of the room at the moon that shone high in the night sky.

‘So I guess I’ve been reborn…

Luffy, Pops, Gramps, everyone…

I wonder what happened after I…’ A helpless sigh escaped his lips as he thought about all the loved ones he had left behind in his previous life. ‘I want to hurry up and find them, but I have no idea if that’s even possible. Everyone here speaks a different language, and even the air feels…

Different. It’s almost as if this is an entirely different world.

It’s a ridiculous thought, but no less ridiculous than being reborn after death, I suppose.’

Looking back at his mother, the corners of his lips crept up. ‘Staying here may not be too bad either.

If this really is a new world, then I can’t make as many mistakes as I did in my last life. So many people died because of my impulsiveness. I refuse to let anyone suffer because of me in this life, especially not you.’

As Ace made that silent vow to himself, he had no idea that three ethereal balls of light were looking down, watching over him. The two smaller ones were about the size of a football, and if you were to look closely, the faces of a man and woman could faintly be seen on them.

In comparison, the larger ball was the size of a small star, and there was no face on it. Though it did radiate a mysterious light that made people want to stop and stare.

It was then that the larger of the three balls suddenly shook softly.

“Ok, you’ve seen it for yourself now. Your son has been safely reincarnated. It really is time now; I can’t postpone it any longer…

Roger…

Rouge…

Are you two even listening to me?”

The ball with the image of a man shook as it let out a faint sigh. “Do you need to continue to rush us? We’re already dead.”

“You cheeky brat, I’ve already given so much just to allow you to spend the last 20+ years here so you could watch your son’s life!”

“Sir God, please don’t mind my husband; he’s just sad to say goodbye after all this time. Isn’t that right, Roger!”

“Right, that’s right, my Rouge is the smartest!”

“Whatever, I can’t bare anymore of your lovey-dovey nonscience. Just hurry up and go.”

As it said that, a bright white portal opened beside them.

“So that’s the portal to heaven?” Rouge asked.

“Exactly.”

“And when we go in there, we will no longer be able to see what happens in the mortal worlds?”

“Bingo!”

“So I won’t be able to…”

Before Rouge could ask any more questions, Roger, in his ethereal form, nuzzled up to comfort her.

“You saw the look in his eyes; our boy has finally grown up. He’ll be fine!”

“You’re right.”

Just before Rouge went through the portal, she glanced back at her only son one last time.

“Goodbye, my son!”

After Rouge disappeared, the portal shut behind her. Taking its place was a crimson portal that radiated a bloody aura that would make even the bravest of men shake down to their very souls.

“Are you sure you don’t want her to know the truth?” The larger ball of light asked.

“If she did, she would’ve forced me to share the burden. I’ve already caused both my wife and son so much pain. This much is the least I can do.” Roger replied as his figure unhesitantly floated towards the portal to hell when the giant ball’s voice was heard again.

“Before you go, I have to know…

Do you regret your choice? Giving up all the positive karma you’d accumulated to give your son – who would’ve ended up going to heaven with you and Rouge – a perfect reincarnation, allowing him another chance at life…?”

Roger turned to look at Ace one last time as he answered. “Ace deserves a chance to live a full life, to feel the warmth of a parent’s love, the warmth of true love, and above all else, he deserves the chance to live without having to bare the sins of this deadbeat father of his.”

As he said that, Roger unhesitantly jumped through the portal to hell.

“Gol D. Roger…

You are the only mortal to have ever truly earned my respect!”

As it said that, the portal vanished.

“Gol D. Ace, if you end up being half the man your father is, it won’t be long till you too end up before me…

Hahaha, at the very least, it’ll be entertaining to watch!”