Batarilla Part 2

'THANK. FREAKING. DIRECTOR! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT WORKED! Although it should have been obvious that nothing would've happened, since I don't have a bounty! Nor does anyone else!'

I then said to Rosalina "Rosa, you just saved us a bunch of time. Thanks for coming up with an explanation on the spot, I couldn't have come up with anything better!"

Rosalina smiled and said "Why thank you, Buggy. I have had my fair share of taking down pirates through lies and deceit."

"Then, let's go! I don't know how much time we can take or how soon it may happen!"

We wandered through the town, mostly because I had some paranoia thanks to the idea of Garp possibly being on the island, so I decided not to use Observation as much as I could, even if it was going to be faster to constantly use it.

So, I ended up trying to locate Rouge in bursts every couple of minutes after changing location from the previous use of observation.

I was very paranoid.

Within reason of course, but very paranoid.

And we found the house Rouge was staying in, which was a modest looking home, but I had a mission I set myself to do. So I knocked on the door, and my anxiety came back from where it was disappearing to.

'What am I supposed to say? I never actually thought of what I was going to say to Rouge, only what I was going to do! I DIDN'T THINK FAR AHEAD ON INTERACTIONS, BUT I DID ON EVERYTHING ELSE!'

Taking a deep breath, I calmed slightly, but could feel my heart rate still pretty high.

'No, it's okay. Um.. maybe captain mentioned me to her, or said something about me in general? Oh no.' I grabbed my head in slight frustration and some major concern. 'Did he maybe tell her about me not being the original? Or maybe the.. regretful decision of getting drunk and saying way more than I should have? WHAT DID HE TELL HER?'

And then the door started to open.

'Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrap! CRAP! WHAT DO I DO? No, calm down, you'll be fine. It's just a conversation. With.. the mother of Ace? The wife of my captain? One of the few people of the D. clan? It's Rouge, it shouldn't be that hard, right?'

The door fully opened to show, obviously, Rouge, who was in what looked vaguely like what I remembered she wore during the flashback of Ace's birth and all that. She was kind of being suspicious, only because she was peeking around the door.

"Hello? What can I do for you?"

'Oh boy. You got this, it's just a simple answer. What is that answer? I DON'T KNOW. Why don't you just introduce yourself, maybe the idea from earlier of Rouge knowing of you might help. That's a good idea, I'll do that.'

Standing there like a statue, I finally said "Um.. hi. I'm Buggy.... and I was hoping to talk to you."

She immediately became a little suspicious, while herself being suspicious, but she raised an eyebrow.

"Mr Buggy, is that right? Come on in, I would like to have a talk with you too."

'Does she know who I am? I can't tell! Of course! This world isn't that easy, is it?'

Rouge opened the door, and let me in directly, then asking "Who are the rest of these people with you?"

"Um... My friends? I don't know how else to explain it in less words."

Starting to become more suspicious of the group that followed me, Rouge sighed and said "Would you like some tea?"

We ended up in the living room of the home, and I was sitting in the middle of a couch with Alice and Mariga on one side, and Rosalina on the other. Taki and Vipeba were wandering a little, since they were experiencing new things, even if those new things could be considered normal.

We had talked somewhat, just to get things straight.

"So, you are saying that you, Buggy, knew about me before my husband even spoke my name?"

"Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but I knew. Please do not ask how."

Rouge had an arm crossed across her chest, and her other arm rubbing her temples. "I guess he was right about you Buggy. He would tell me that a kid on his crew named Buggy knew everything, and grew quickly in strength. He didn't have an answer either, but he entrusted you with being the best you, so I can't complain. Even if you aren't explainable."

I leaned my head back, partially laying down on the couch with limited space.

"Now that I hear it out loud, it does make me sound suspicious. Or like an oracle."

Rouge sat down across from me directly, on a couch opposite a coffee table, where the tea was sitting.

"What did you come here to do then, Oracle?"

I lifted my head to look at her, and said "Well, I am here because of your unborn child."

We both became extremely serious, talking directly to each other.

"Are we in company that knows of such a thing?"

Rouge looked at everyone else.

"Well, Vipeba over there needs to know, Taki already knows and doesn't care, Mari I think is too young to understand right now, Alice kind of knows because I told her a little, and Rosa here only knows that I wanted to help you."

"Oh? So there is more to the story?" Rosalina spoke from my side.

"While there are times I like to talk, there are times I don't."

Confused, Rosalina continued "What does that have to do with the story?"

"It has plenty. I don't talk about everything, and some things you will never learn. That's the best way I can put it."

"Would you like to talk about your past aboard my husband's ship perhaps?"

I froze and turned to Rouge.

"Please. Don't. I have reasons to not say everything. While I may have times where I don't have reasons and don't say a word, I have reasons."

We sat in silence for a second, the tension could be cut with a ball.

"So, what was your reason for coming here again?"

"Oh, that! I came here because I wanted to help you give birth essentially, which is why Vipeba knows. Now, I know that there are literally Marines everywhere, but I'd like you to stay alive rather than die. While your will is extremely powerful, you force yourself too much, and I'd like to change some things that I've forseen."

Rouge knitted her fingers, and her face darkened. "Why do you want to help me with this? There's nothing to help me with."

"It's more the idea that you could die, and maybe a mix of the fate of your child that pushes me to do this. But, I don't really have a reason TO help other than a personal thing I just want to do." I then lifted a finger, as if I was holding up a number.

"It's more like, I'd like to change fate a little while still not messing it all up, in a way."

Rosalina and Rouge ended up staring at me, Taki and Vipeba were both looking at things, Taki was showing Vipeba some things too, Mariga was looking around, kind of questioning everything but keeping quiet.

"Yeah, fate sucks sometimes, so I just decide to change very little things."

We sat in silence.

For a minute or two.

And then I remembered something.

"Oh yeah! Can we do my plan? I'd very much like to make some changes that will do something while not doing much at the same time."

Rouge was a little in shock before sighing again "You know, Roger DID say you knew about our child and this island before he spoke even a single word about such things. And so, if he trusts you, you must be able to do something. But have you come up with something for the Marines?"

"Um.." I was stuck with no answer.

And then one popped up. "No, I have not, but I was going to do something about it, if I could, at least."

"What do you mea-"

"DID YOU JUST SAY ROGER? AS IN GOLD ROGER?" Alice and Rosalina yelled in unison.

I ignored what they said, until I thought about it and started sweating a little.

'What am I supposed to say to that? Rosa's a bounty hunter but can't do anything, I don't think, to me, at least if there isn't a person controlling her, thanks to my lack of bounty. Alice on the other hand, I don't know. It's mostly Rosa I have to worry about because of the possibility of her wanting to turn me in. Isn't that a bigger deal than I'm making it out to me? OF COURSE IT IS! ROSA COULD TURN ON ME AND BRING ME TO THE WORLD GOVERNMENT OR MARINES JUST TO SEE IF IM WORTH A THING! I DONT SEE MUCH OF AN ISSUE, BUT STILL!'