"Hehehe, you already invited me before, but now it's an official invitation… If my buddies found out, they'd be so jealous."
Reid secretly gloated to himself.
"Ahem… Well, I, Reid, accept your invitation, Roger."
Reid coughed exaggeratedly, grinning widely at Roger.
"Hahaha, good! Cheers!"
Their bottles clinked, both of them grinning ear to ear.
Gulp gulp… The two of them downed several bottles in quick succession, and soon, the crate was empty.
"That was fast. I'll go grab another crate."
Roger seemed a bit drunk, hiccuping as he wobbled to his feet.
"Is Roger drunk? Weird, I drank just as much, but I don't feel tipsy at all."
On the deck, Buggy's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening.
"Where am I…?"
Buggy looked around and realized he was on a ship.
"Hey, Buggy, you're useless—took you long enough to wake up."
"Huh?"
Buggy turned and saw Shanks.
"Ah! Shanks! What are you doing here? You kidnapped me, didn't you? Hmph! I, Buggy, will never join you!"
"Bahahaha!"
Shanks burst into laughter, his grin stretching wide.
"Damn you, Shanks! You wanna fight?!"
"No time for that now. We're heading to the usual place."
Shanks ignored Buggy, his heart pounding with excitement. Roger was not only alive but also completely cured of his illness.
"That Reid guy… Is his medical skill really that incredible?"
"Hey! Shanks! You dare ignore me, Captain Buggy?! I'm the future King of the Pirates! Ah~ How glorious~ The world will worship Buggy the Pirate King! Shanks! You should just join my crew—I'll generously make you my first mate! Bahahaha!"
Buggy grinned smugly, hands on his hips, his red nose twitching.
"Oh? So you're leaving the Roger Pirates?"
Shanks smirked, his eyes teasing.
"Have you lost your mind, Shanks?! Roger's already dead. Ah~ Roger, how could you abandon me like this? Waaah! Shanks! Are you trying to replace Roger? Hah! Don't make me laugh! If anyone can lead the Roger Pirates, it's me, Buggy! Yohohoho!"
Buggy pointed dramatically at Shanks, his eyes nearly disappearing into slits.
"Tch. I'm not leaving the Roger Pirates. If you wanna go, go alone."
"Quit squabbling, you brats."
"Who said that?!"
Buggy whipped his head around, scanning the deck.
"So the clown Buggy's awake. What a sneaky guy—even Roger wouldn't expect that soon, Buggy will become one of the Four Emperors. Wait… the Four Emperors only became a thing after Roger's death. Now that I've saved Roger, will the Four Emperors even exist?"
Reid suddenly realized the implications. As a transmigrator, he had already altered history. What would happen next was anyone's guess.
"Hahaha, Brother Reid, Buggy's a funny kid too. The Roger Pirates don't recruit based on strength—anyone interesting is welcome!"
Gulp gulp— Roger took another swig.
"Ah~ Hahaha! A man's gotta drink, or women will look down on him!"
"Heh~ Sister Rouge must be fine with you drinking."
"Rouge… Haha, yeah. Soon, my child will be born. The family's growing!"
At the mention of Rouge, Roger's eyes sparkled—his wife, who had always supported his pursuit of freedom.
"Roger."
Reid set down his bottle, his expression turning serious.
"Brother Reid, you have something to say?"
Roger sensed the shift in tone, an inexplicable tension creeping in.
"Yes. What I'm about to tell you—you must believe me."
"Of course. With abilities like yours, I trust you."
Roger also put down his drink, his drunken flush vanishing instantly.
So people in this world only get drunk when they let themselves relax—they don't actually lose control.
Reid understood now.
"If I hadn't saved you today, Rouge—to keep the Marines from discovering she was carrying your child—would do everything to delay the birth. In the end, she would die shortly after giving birth."
The moment these words left his mouth, Roger's face twisted in horror. He shot to his feet.
"Reid… Are you serious?!"
Roger's gaze turned razor-sharp, an overwhelming Conqueror's Haki surging from his body, making the entire ship tremble. If not for his restraint, the vessel would've shattered instantly.
"Wah—! Why's the ship shaking so bad?! Is there a Sea King underneath?!"
Shanks stumbled, struggling to keep his balance.
"Hey! Shanks! Can't you steer properly?! Hah! I get it—you're jealous of me, the Pirate King Buggy! Hmph, how dare you—"
"Kind-hearted me like this? I look down on you."
"What did you say? Seems like you're itching for a beating, Bucky!"
Inside the cabin, Reid nodded solemnly.
"Yes, so we need to inform Rouge in advance. Otherwise, she will die, and Ace will grow up hating you, Roger."
"Reid, you even know about Ace?!"
Roger was stunned, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.
"I accidentally let it slip again. I need to be more careful. If the World Government or some powerful figures find out, I'll be in danger."
Reid thought to himself.
"Roger, I trust your character, so I won't hide it from you. I know many things, including events that will happen in the future."
"You can foresee the future? Is there a Devil Fruit with that kind of power?"
"Not exactly. I... well, I don't know how to explain it. Just think of me as a 'Child of Fate' who can predict certain things."
Even though Roger was Reid's idol, he had no intention of revealing his "God-Level Collection Illustrated System." This secret had to remain his alone—no one else could know.
"Impressive!"
Roger gave him a thumbs-up.
"Heh. By the way, Roger—"