Chapter 5 : Troubles Before Being Born (1/2)

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"Push a little harder. You can do this Mrs. Bertha." I heard a feminine voice near me. I couldn't see or feel anything. All I could hear was a cry of a woman and the encouragement of the other.

Minutes later, I felt freedom. But as freedom came in, a massive surge of pain did also. But I didn't cry as I could handle this kind of pain easily.

Suddenly, a burst of pain erupted in my butt, letting my emotion ran wild.

<Flash back>

(3rd POV)

"Roger, are you sure about this?" A feminine voice spoke out in a crowd of 12 people. They are the Roger Pirates.

"Hahaha, the great Bertha is worried about me? I- *cough*" A man with a huge mustache and bulky frame said as he started to cough really heavily. "You can probably hear my suffering right now. I don't have much time." he continued.

"What do you mean you don't have a choice? We can live in peace somewhere in the New World." Bertha said. "L- *Puke*." she puked all of a sudden which surprised all the members present.

"Big booby Bertha, are you ok?" the two kids suddenly came to Bertha and started to look what is happening to her. Those two are Shanks and Buggy. Bertha was like a mother figure to those two so they greatly cared for her.

"It's ok," Bertha said. She then looked towards the group and spoke out again. "I need something to tell you guys... I am pregnant." She said which earned the group another surprise.

"W-who is the father?" Rayleigh asked curiously, albeit nervously knowing Bertha's temper.

"It's that goddamn of a captain," Bertha said, clicking her tongue.

"M-mine?" Roger bawled in front of the group. "I mean... since when?"

"The day after you got sick. I made sure to increase the dosage of the booze y'all drank that day. It was my last chance." She said with a sad expression. "Roger. It may be too late to confess already with your decision to disband the crew. But, since the day you saved me, I loved you." She announced, earning the whole group another shocked expression.

"Man, first, the boss decided to disband the crew, now the Big Bertha herself started to know love? What's next? The Captain is going to submit himself to the dirty Marines?" The man with long dark hair and glasses joked. His name was Gaban.

Everyone laughed at Gaban's comment except for the two. Roger and Bertha.

"About that..." Roger said, earning the whole group's attention. "I will turn myself in a year after the crew's disbandment. As I said, I don't have much time. This is the only way I can do to protect you guys." he continued.

"R-roger..." Bertha said but before she was able to say anything, she fainted. It seems like the baby is taking a toll on her body.

"BERTHA!" The group said while panicking. They immediately sent her to the doctor's cabin.

After a long wait, the crew's doctor evaluated that Bertha was fine.

The crew then began to discuss again.

"Roger, what's the next step?" A stout young adult asked. His name is Douglas Bullet. He used to be a marine but he has enough of the Marine's hypocrisy and joined Roger's crew.

"I want you guys to disappear. I want people to forget you. All of you. In the meantime... I will leave with Bertha and take care of her until the day she started giving birth." Roger ordered. Even though he didn't want to. He has to take responsibility as it is his own child after all.

The reason being? He already has a woman in South Blue who is waiting for him to come back.

It seems like his first mate, Rayleigh, also caught this.

Why does he know this and why he is the only one? Well, that's because when they were looking for future members of the crew, they came to this peaceful island in South Blue. There they met Rouge. She has long pink hair with freckles. They stayed there for months before Roger decided to come back and marry her.

"Captain, what about Rouge?" He whispered. "How are you going to tell this to Bertha? With her personality, she may explode."

"I-I will take care of it," Roger replied nervously.

An hour has passed and all the crew members had gathered, yet again.

"From today onwards, the crew is no more. But our name shall forever be in our heart! The world may forget who we are, so, we will be the ones remembering ourselves." Roger screamed. He picked up a mug and said his final toast.

A day later, all the crew split up in different areas of the globe. Everyone went to the Grandline and the new world except for two people who only went to one of the four seas. Those two are Roger and Bertha.

During the trip, Roger told Bertha about his original lover back in South Blue. Surprisingly, she was apologetic instead of being mad. She swore that once she gave birth to the baby, she will leave.

Of course, Roger had to calm down Bertha and agreed to take care of her and the baby at all cost. This calmed Bertha a little bit, earning a big hearty laugh from Roger.

A few months later, at 1500 of February, they arrived in the peaceful island in South Blue.

They slowly walked up to a small hut near the cliff. Roger stood in front of the door and started to knock.

*Knock* *Knock*

A few moments later, the door opened.

The one who opened was a female with a slender body, Pink hair, and noticeable freckles.

"H-Hi," Roger said, totally smitten by Rouge's beauty. But he was soon cut out of his daze when he was smacked on his head.

"Cut out of it Roger. At least know how to greet and properly introduce to people." Bertha said while looking at Roger intensely. She then gave the pink-haired beauty a kind smile and introduced herself.

"Hello. My name is Bertha. I know your name is Rouge. I found it out from Roger. It's nice to meet you." The hourglass beauty said although a mound can be seen in her stomach.

Rouge didn't mind the previous event and moved on with it.

"Hello. You probably know my name already but I am going to introduce myself again. My name is Portgas D. Rouge. It's nice to meet you as well." Rouge said before shaking Bertha's hand.

Roger then walked in front of the pink-haired beauty.

"Do you remember me? I am Roger, the man you met many years ago." Roger said with fear as he may be forgotten.

"Of course I remember you, mooncake," Rouge said calmly. "Come, let's go inside." Rouge invited.

The two then went inside the hut.

"Please sit near the table. I will prepare some drinks." Rouge said as she started to scuffle around the kitchen.

"She is pretty gentle and kind, Roger. Although you are as dense as a rock, your eyes at finding good mates are out of this world." Bertha joked but Roger just shrugged it off.

The 3 adults had a peaceful conversation. Roger explained to Rouge about Bertha and the child inside her. Luckily, Rouge was gentle with it and very open-minded.

(9 Months Later)

"Are you sure you are going to hold it?" Rouge asked Bertha. Roger just sat outside the room, alone.

"Yeah. Just like what you said. It would be dangerous for the baby to be born at this time as it will be tracked by the government." Bertha said while clenching her teeth. "If it means for my baby to have a normal life, I would do all I could."

"Remember Bertha, doing so will not only risk your life but also the baby's well being," Rouge said worryingly.

"It's A'right. I already took a pill for the baby to stay in hibernation/stagnation period for several years or until the link between us severed." Bertha said confidently. "Just had to endure the pain."