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Jason followed the sound of the cat's meow and immediately saw a group of pregnant women slowly walking forward with the Marines, heading towards the area.
Among the last few in the line, a woman with a gentle expression walked calmly, showing no signs of panic. On her shoulder, a cat was gesturing towards him, as if signaling something.
That face— Jason couldn't mistake it. It was definitely Rouge! The very woman Rojen was searching for. What shocked him even more was that Lordling had already found her.
"Has Lordling been with her all this time?"
Curious as he was, Jason didn't act rashly.
There were many Marines here, and if he acted recklessly, it would cause chaos. Though he was strong, he wasn't foolish.
Suppressing his excitement, Jason lowered his hands, occasionally glancing at the woman.
Time continued to pass, and soon the pregnant women in front had been verified. It was now Rouge's turn.
At this moment, Jason's gaze became serious.
He stared intently at Rouge, not blinking.
The few women in front quickly passed through, and it was Rouge's turn.
The woman remained calm, not panicking, but just showing a hint of fear in her eyes, perfectly portraying the timidity expected of a pregnant woman facing Marine scrutiny.
"Name!"
The Marine officer glanced at Rouge, not paying much attention. He had seen this kind of expression hundreds of times.
Most women would feel psychological pressure when questioned by the Marines, feeling fear and anxiety. This was normal. If someone acted bold and fearless, it would instead draw their attention.
"Rouge."
The officer nodded, checking the previous records.
"You've been verified three times before, and each time there were no issues."
Putting down the records, the officer looked up, his eyes locking onto Rouge's.
"So, this time, is there anything you'd like to confess?"
Rouge looked into the officer's eyes and was about to speak.
But suddenly, her heart trembled, and her entire body shook. The officer's gaze felt like a Uzumaki whirlpool, exuding a威严 that was intimidating. It felt as though lying in front of him would be a disrespect to the gods, making her feel ashamed and timid, almost unable to resist telling the truth.
"I..."
"Do you have any connection to the Pirate King, Roger?"
The officer's voice came again.
To outsiders, the voice sounded calm, but to Rouge, it was like a thunderclap, shaking her very soul and opening up her heart.
For a moment, Rouge's eyes showed a hint of confusion, as if she was losing control of her mind and about to confess the truth.
"Not good!"
Jason, watching from a distance, immediately tensed up.
He saw Rouge tremble and fall into confusion while being questioned by the officer.
"Tell the truth!"
The officer's voice remained steady, but there was a sternness to it.
These words entered Rouge's ears and quickly amplified, like thunder, shaking her entire body. In the next second, it seemed she couldn't hold back from revealing everything.
"I..."
Just as she uttered a word, Rouge's eyes immediately regained clarity.
"Meow."
The cat on her shoulder meowed, the sound quickly amplifying in her ear and waking her up.
"My... my husband."
Rouge spoke.
The officer's eyes narrowed as he continued to question her.
"What about your husband?"
"My husband once lent Roger some money." Rouge showed a timid expression, her eyes filled with panic.
"So you were trying to hide this?" The officer said disappointedly.
"I... I was afraid the Marines would punish me. He... he's already dead. Wūūūūū, I'm all alone now. I'm scared." Rouge began to cry in fear.
The officer sighed and waved his hand.
"Go on."
Covering her face, Rouge quickly stepped away. Once she was out of the crowd, she let out a sigh of relief.
The Marine officer's gaze seemed to contain immense power, and his voice was intimidating, as if every word carried a威严 that made it impossible to lie. Just standing in front of him filled one with pressure.
She calmed herself again and patted Lordling's head on her shoulder.
"Thank you, little cat."
"Meow!"
Lordling softly meowed.
If it hadn't been for the cat just now, she would have been exposed.
Soon, Rouge quickened her pace and headed home.
Meanwhile, Jason, who had been keeping an eye on Rouge, was also preparing to follow her.
But just then, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
"Who?" Jason tensed up and turned around abruptly.
He found himself face to face with someone who had a somewhat similar face to his, wearing a mask.
"I need to tell you a few things. Stay close to her and protect her."
The voice from beneath the mask was unmistakably Rojen's.
Jason was taken aback, realizing it was indeed Rojen.
"This Den Den Mushi is for you. When it rings, take Rouge and Lordling and leave this island." The serious tone of Rojen's voice made Jason's heart race, and he couldn't help but ask,
"What about you?"
"I'll hold back the Marines."
Rojen's calm voice sent a shiver down Jason's spine.
"But, but they have an Admiral here! Even the Marines conducting the checks are Vice Admirals!!" Jason lowered his voice, speaking nervously.
"I'll go with you, or we can leave together!"
"Jason, listen to me."
But Rojen interrupted him.
"As long as you, Lordling, and Rouge are safe, I'll be fine."
"But that's an Admiral!"
Jason still couldn't believe it.
"I have my ways!" Rojen said firmly.
"Just listen to me and do as I say." He pressed the Den Den Mushi into Jason's arms and turned away, disappearing from Jason's sight in an instant.
Watching Rojen's retreating figure, Jason clenched his teeth and tightened his fists.
"Captain, you must be safe!"
Though their time together was short, and sometimes he found Rojen a bit neurotic, there was no doubt that a deep bond had formed between the three of them.
He had already considered Rojen as his partner!
During their time on the ship, Rojen had revealed Rouge's identity to them, and from the very beginning, he had understood the importance and danger of this quest.
Grinding his teeth, Jason took a step forward, quickly chasing after Rouge's figure.
He followed her closely but didn't rush to approach her. At this moment, Rouge was unaware of his identity, and approaching her recklessly could easily raise the Marines' suspicions.
It wasn't until Rouge entered her house that Jason finally scanned his surroundings and stepped forward to knock on the door.
(End Of This Chapter)