One Piece: Signing In as a Pirate Begins with Roger's Execution

"Cough, cough!"

"What do you mean 'finally out'? I never went in to begin with!"

Hearing Rouge's words, Karl nearly choked on the sip of water he just took.

Thankfully, he managed to hold it in; otherwise, the two pieces of clothing on the table would have been ruined.

"I heard from Garp that you were locked up and wouldn't be released for another five years. Was he lying to me?"

Rouge tilted her head, her face full of curiosity.

Karl sighed deeply, unsure how to respond.

Old man Garp, you've set me up again!

After silently cursing Garp, Karl picked up a piece of clothing beside him to change the subject.

"Are all these clothes for little Ace?"

"The one you're holding is Ace's, but the other one belongs to Luffy. The one I'm holding is also Luffy's."

"Are you taking care of two kids now? Isn't that exhausting?"

"It's not too bad. As a mother, taking care of one or two is all the same—no big deal.

Plus, the two of them are so lively and always sticking together. Every time I see them, it feels like I'm looking at Roger and his crew from the past. It's so nostalgic!"

Rouge's words left Karl at a loss for words.

Karl didn't have much fondness for Roger, but it wasn't like he could say that in front of Roger's wife.

"Cough, cough. Let's not dwell on that. There's something I'd like your help with. We'll need to discuss it inside."

Rouge smiled warmly, her demeanor as gentle as water.

"All right, I'll help."

Three Days Later

At Rouge's home, little Ace and little Luffy sat at a small table, their faces filled with resentment.

Both slouched in their seats, looking utterly dejected, as if someone had been tormenting them.

"Ugh, more lessons again! Karl-ossan is so annoying! I just want to go out and play... and eat meat!"

"Hmph! That evil Uncle Karl! All he ever wants to do is teach! Back when he forced me to take three months of lessons, I was so close to losing my mind."

Ace and Luffy's complaints were nearly identical—they utterly detested Karl's lessons.

After all, they couldn't understand a single thing he was teaching!

Karl had only been back in Windmill Village for three days, but during that time, he'd done nothing but give Ace and Luffy lessons in politics.

While teaching, he also subtly influenced Luffy, trying to get him to call him "Dad."

And surprisingly, Luffy seemed to be getting used to it.

Who knew what Dragon would think if he saw this? Hopefully, he wouldn't start questioning his life choices.

That said, Karl was an expert when it came to raising kids.

Kuro, Enel, and Capone Bege were all once under Karl's tutelage.

Because of this, coupled with Karl's imposing authority, Ace and Luffy didn't dare to resist—they could only let him do as he pleased.

However, while Luffy reluctantly began calling Karl "Dad," he still didn't fully accept Karl's teachings.

Karl's political lessons were entirely beyond him.

Ace, having been under Karl's wing for a while, had long resigned himself to his fate.

For Ace, lessons were a matter of passive endurance—he just had to get through them. Occasionally, he'd even pipe up with a response.

But falling asleep? That earned a smack on the head.

It hurt.

Karl didn't bother correcting their attitudes, continuing his lessons as usual.

His goal was to gradually reshape their values, teaching them that being a pirate didn't necessarily equate to freedom.

Still, because of Ace's lineage, Karl's requirements for him weren't as strict.

Even if Ace didn't become a Marine, he could choose to be an adventurer or a bounty hunter.

However, Karl's one non-negotiable rule was that Ace must never set sail under a pirate's flag.

As for everything else, Karl didn't care much.

On the other hand, Luffy was Karl's main focus.

Fortunately, in the past two days, Luffy hadn't had the chance to meet Shanks, nor had he inherited Shanks' straw hat.

This gave Karl even more reason to take Luffy to a Marine base.

Even if Luffy couldn't make it to Marineford for now, Karl would find an opportunity to send him to Loguetown for training.

Only by doing so could he fully correct the values that Garp had instilled in him.

"You two should stop complaining. If Karl hears what you're saying, he might double your assignments today.

At that point, even I won't be able to help you. So, keep quiet and focus on your studies."

Rouge sat nearby, sewing a small skirt.

It was unclear whether it was meant for herself or for Ace and Luffy.

Previously, Karl had printed a guidebook on skirt-making while in Loguetown.

After arriving in the village, he gave a copy to both Rouge and Makino.

Makino wasn't very interested in it, but Rouge was delighted.

Since Karl had also asked her to help look after the two kids, Rouge didn't hesitate to speak up for him.

Luffy, being more or less unsupervised, listened to Ace.

Ace, as Rouge's son, naturally obeyed his mother.

It was a classic case of "one thing curbing another."

By keeping Ace in line, Luffy was much easier to manage.

That was precisely why Karl had sought out Rouge in the first place.

"Cough, cough. I heard everything you just said."

Karl's voice suddenly came from behind Ace and Luffy, sending shivers down their spines.

But Karl didn't hold it against them. He simply ruffled their hair gently before placing a workbook-like booklet in front of them.

"I was running late today because I was preparing this for you—practice exercises!

From now on, you won't have to copy those boring notes or do any more homework.

For the sake of your healthy development, I've decided to have you complete this workbook during class time!

This is a workbook filled with love. I'm sure you can feel how much I care for you, can't you?

And during your free time, I'll take you for physical training—or maybe some jungle adventures.

What do you think? Exciting, right?"

Karl squinted slightly, his tone mischievous yet persuasive.

Ace and Luffy were overjoyed.

As long as they didn't have to copy notes, they didn't care what they had to do!

But when they opened the workbook, they were immediately overwhelmed.

The contents left them utterly baffled.

Both were terrible at academics—Luffy especially, the worst of the worst.

Even though Ace had studied some of this five years ago, he only remembered vague ideas, nothing concrete.

Still, Karl didn't mind. These exercises were meant to reinforce their values and prevent Garp from leading them astray.

Whether they actually memorized the material wasn't Karl's concern.

From Karl's perspective, the lessons he gave were expressions of his love.

But for Ace and Luffy, it was nothing short of torment.

Painful grimaces were a common sight for the next month.

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