One Piece: Start by Saving Roger, I Was Invited to Join the Crew

Time flew by like running water—before they knew it, six months had already passed.

During this time, Reid, Shanks, and Bucky continued to train daily under Rayleigh's guidance.

Reid had become increasingly proficient at unleashing his Conqueror's Haki. His Observation Haki had also made notable progress—he could now dodge Rayleigh's blind attacks a thousand times in a row without being hit.

Although his Haki was still relatively weak in terms of raw power, it was his own—his personal Haki, not a borrowed strength granted by the system.

"Reid, as you grow, your Haki will naturally become stronger. Think about it—your Haki at twenty is definitely more powerful than when you were five. More importantly, your strength will improve through training, and your physical body will become more resilient."

"I understand, Brother Rayleigh," Reid nodded in reply.

"Mr. Rayleigh, what about me? I've been working really hard too, haven't I?"

Bucky asked eagerly, his eyes shining, clearly fishing for praise.

Rayleigh grinned. "Heh, you've improved a lot too. Ordinary opponents won't be able to land a hit on you easily now. You need to fully utilize your Chop-Chop Fruit powers, turn them into offensive strength—aim for sneak attacks whenever possible."

"Woc… Rayleigh's really teaching Bucky how to fight like a thief?"

Reid couldn't help but chuckle with a hint of exasperation.

"Hehe, Bucky, I think that really suits you,"

Shanks raised an eyebrow and threw an arm around Bucky's neck.

"Yahahaha! Mr. Rayleigh, you get me! I love doing stuff like that!"

Bucky wasn't the least bit ashamed—in fact, he looked rather proud of himself.

"All right, that's enough for now. Let's head back. Mrs. Roger should be giving birth soon. You guys can take a short break."

Rayleigh announced.

"Oh, right! If you hadn't said it, Rayleigh, I would've forgotten Lady Rouge is about to give birth to Ace!"

Shanks was visibly excited—anything related to Roger was important to him.

"For the next few days, you two should stay close to her. If anything happens, you might be able to help."

Rayleigh smiled as he gazed out at the scenery ahead. A warm feeling welled up in his chest.

"No problem, leave it to me and Shanks!"

Bucky grinned, slapping his chest in assurance.

"Speaking of which, the captain said no matter if it's a boy or a girl, the child will be named Ace. That name really is unisex—clever thinking."

Shanks grinned, then turned to Reid.

"Hey, Reid, are you sure Ace is going to be a boy?"

"Yeah! How can you tell the gender before the baby's even born?" Bucky asked.

"I'm sure. Don't believe me? Just wait until Sister-in-law Rouge gives birth—you'll see for yourselves."

Reid replied confidently. For someone who already knew the outcome, this was hardly a challenge.

"Bree bree bree, bree bree bree bree."

"It's Elio."

Rayleigh picked up the call.

"This is Rayleigh. What's going on?"

The Den Den Mushi immediately mirrored a panicked, anxious face. As expected, Elio's voice came through, full of worry.

"Rayleigh! Hurry and bring Brother Reid back! The lady—she's not feeling well!"

"What happened?" Rayleigh asked quickly.

"She's going into labor—but it's not going smoothly! The midwives are already here! Hurry back, now!"

"Reid! Reid! Hurry back! Rouge is in danger! Please—hurry!"

Roger's voice cut through, frantic and full of desperation.

"Brother Roger, don't panic—I'm on my way now!"

Reid raised his voice, knowing Roger would feel more at ease just hearing him respond.

"Please, Reid—hurry!"

Roger said before slamming the line shut. The Den Den Mushi closed its eyes.

"This is bad—we have to go back, now!"

Shanks was sweating nervously.

Rayleigh turned to Reid. "Let's go. There's no time to waste."

"Right."

Reid nodded.

Transforming into his Great Buddha form, he said, "Shanks, Bucky—hold on tight!"

He grabbed the two and broke into a sprint. Rayleigh led the way ahead, his speed unmatched.

Inside a room, Rouge was lying on the bed, drenched in sweat. Around her were five women—two elderly midwives and three younger attendants.

"Granny, Rouge looks like she's in difficult labor. If this goes on, we might lose both her and the baby."

One of the younger women said anxiously, dabbing Rouge's forehead with a towel.

"Sigh... I've handled difficult births before, but never one like this. The baby inside isn't moving at all, yet we can still hear a heartbeat."

One of the old women sighed, her voice filled with confusion and helplessness.

The other elderly midwife stepped up to examine Rouge, frowning deeply.

"How strange... Her belly's huge, the pregnancy is full-term, and she looks like she's about to give birth. But there's no movement from the child at all."

Rouge lay on the bed, biting her lip until it bled, her hands clutching the sheets so tightly they were all wrinkled.

With great effort, she whispered,

"Ah… please… I beg you… save my child…"

"Don't worry, Rouge—we won't let anything happen to you or the baby."

One of the young women stepped forward to comfort her.

"Sigh... but I'm afraid this isn't looking good..."

One of the midwives shook her head mournfully, her expression grim. As the island's most experienced birth attendant, she knew the terrible truth—if she couldn't resolve this, both Rouge and her unborn child would perish. The baby's life hung by a thread.

"Where the hell is Reid?!" Roger paced like a caged animal outside the hut. The mighty Pirate King stood utterly powerless in this crisis.

"Panicking won't help," Whitebeard said, though tension lined his own face. "My men are stationed along the route—with Reid's speed, they should arrive any moment."

The usually jovial Roger now carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. His wife's life hung in the balance, and for the first time in his adventurous life, he understood true fear.

Jabra muttered under his breath, "We knew this delivery window was coming. Reid never should've left camp."

Whitebeard's crew exchanged confused glances. Why was Roger's entire faction so desperate for Reid's return?

Marco's medical instincts prickled. "For what it's worth," the phoenix-user offered, "my flames have healing properties. Should I try intervening?"

"Thatch's right—Marco's no slouch as a doctor," Vista agreed, nodding.

Roger's jaw tightened. "No. We wait for Reid. He'll be here."

This response only deepened the bewilderment among Whitebeard's men. Why refuse immediate medical aid for this mysterious Reid?

"Pops! Rayleigh's group is back!" Namur's voice cut through the tension.

Roger sprinted toward the commotion before the words fully registered.

"Is that... a golden giant? That's Reid?!" Fossa's eyes widened as the radiant figure came into view.

"Something's wrong," Lucci observed coldly. "They're moving like the devil's on their heels."

Every observer cataloged details—this was their first glimpse of the man Roger valued above his own ship's doctor.

As Rayleigh and Reid reached them, the golden glow dissipated. "Roger, how's Rouge?" Reid demanded, Shanks and Buggy crowding close behind.

"It's bad," Roger choked out, gripping Reid's shoulders. "Save them. Both of them."

"Take me to her. Now."

The room fell silent when Reid entered. "Thank God," murmured the attendants.

Whitebeard gestured urgently. "This way."

Inside, Rouge lay drenched in sweat, her face ghostly pale beneath the blankets.

"I'm a physician," Reid announced.

The junior midwife stepped aside immediately. "Doctor, please!"

As Reid placed his hand on Rouge's forehead, a single thought flashed through his mind: Heal.

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