Although Wanda and Rouge weren't born on the exact same day as Roger and Newgate, Ace still made it so the seal suppressing their memories would come undone on the same day.
On the morning of the twin's 18th birthday, Ace was outside practising his glaivesmanship in a futile attempt to calm his nerves. He was literally the strongest man in the entire universe, and yet there he was, feeling like a child who had been naughty at school and could only wait for his parents to find out and punish him.
Amira was beside him, just watching him silently. There was little she could do to help Ace with this one. Still, even if there was something she could do to lessen his nerves, chances are she would refrain from doing so – she found it all too amusing that her all-powerful husband was literally shuddering in fear.
Suddenly, the simultaneous twin roaring of Ace's name came from behind the couple. Ace shuddered before giving his wife, who was leisurely chuckling beside herself, a glare as if to ask whose side she was on.
Before she could answer, "Roger" and "Newgate" came charging out of their house toward their father.
Ace barely had time to look up before both boys demanded that they change their names back!
Ace was taken aback by the fact that that was the first thing to come out of their mouths. The last time "Roger" had seen him before his rebirth was the day he was impaled and burned alive by Akainu. As for "Newgate," his true biological father, they had never actually met!
The fact that they were more concerned with regaining their names than asking how he was or how they ended up here…
Ace's nerves suddenly vanished as he doubled down, saying that their names in this life had already been decided and that if they really wanted him to agree to change it back, all they had to do was defeat him.
The twins looked at each other and then looked at him frustratedly. Forget the fact that they didn't have access to their abilities from their last life; even if they did, their years of experience in their previous lives, which had honed their sixth sense to a near-ridiculous level, allowed them to see that even though they couldn't even begin to see through Ace, they knew that he had reached that the current them didn't have the right to even begin to think opposing him.
Seeing their hesitation, a teasing smirk appeared on Ace's face before he continued by making the terms even easier, saying that they didn't even have to beat him; they just had to be able to touch him, no, they just had to touch a piece of his clothing.
As he continued teasing them, Ace couldn't help but feel a little surprised on the inside. His current level had put him so far above everyone else that not even Aiden couldn't even begin to see through him anymore, let alone his two mortal "sons," both of whom had their bloodlines suppressed.
To them, at most, he should just feel like a far more skilful warrior, but he could sense from their emotions that they could actually sense his actual power, albeit only vaguely. Ultimately, he could only sigh inwardly, understanding that this was part of their innate talent.
Still, Ace didn't show even the slightest hint of surprise; he simply continued to mock them both until they had had enough.
Newgate was the former King of the Pirates in his last life, someone who stood at the very peak of his former world. As for Roger, although he never truly became the King of the Pirates, that wasn't from a lack of ability but more from a lack of desire – ultimately, he was no inferior to this rival of his.
Neither of them cared that Ace was their father in this life; they both only saw him as their child, and seeing this child of theirs bully them without any regard for their faces… both Roger and Newgate snorted and dashed for Ace, intending to beat the crap out of him, to hell with the consequences.
Ace, Roger, and Newgate were so focused on each other that none of them realised that they had attracted a crowd.
Killian, Aiden, Wukong, and pretty much all of Ace's closest friends and family were all watching the spectacle unfold with amusement. By now, everyone knew the truth, and although they thought it made sense considering Ace's talent and maturity when he was younger, none of them cared. Ace was still Ace, regardless of his reincarnation.
Still, as they watched the fight, without fail, they all began cheering for the twins. They knew that it was impossible for the twins to beat Ace; even so, it didn't stop them from cheering and genuinely hoping to see Ace lose.
At the same time, Linley had just arrived with his family. Like the twins, Rouge had also recovered her memories from her past life.
After 18 years of raising her, even though she was Ace's mother in her last life, Linley and Yunaia only saw her as their little girl. Still, they couldn't help but feel a little worried that she wouldn't feel the same.
Fortunately, their worries were unfounded. Regardless of her feelings for Ace, the last 18 years weren't just a dream or an illusion. Her feelings for her new parents were just as real as theirs for her.
Still, as they arrived a little late on the scene, Rouge took a glance at the trio fighting among themselves before shaking her head helplessly at their antics. Even so, her eyes did linger on Ace – a warm and gentle smile appeared on her face, and she could see that regardless of what he had experienced in this life, he appeared to be genuinely happy, and there was nothing that made her happier.
Next, though, she turned to Millianna. Feeling her gaze, Millianna couldn't help but look back. Over the last 18 years, aside from her twin grandsons, Rouge was the person she interacted with the most, and although their relationship was very good, like Linley and Yunaia, even Millianna couldn't help but feel a hint of nerves – she may be Ace's biological mother from this life, but Rouge was Ace's original biological mother.
What she had never expected, though, was that after Rouge made her way to her, the first thing she did was drop to her knees. Without waiting for Millianna to wrap her mind around what was happening, Rouge deeply thanked Millianna for being such an incredible mother to Ace.
Seeing that, Millianna was momentary at a loss on how to proceed before hurriedly helping Rouge to her feet. She explained that Ace had told her what Rouge had done for him in their last life, and as a mother, she couldn't even begin to compare.
Rouge gently stated that it was all in the past. She then asked Millianna to tell her everything about Ace's life.
Seeing that the two women were getting on, everyone sighed in relief. It was then, though, that a change took place in the fight between Ace and the twins. On their own, it was impossible that they would ever be able to come close to touching Ace, but with Aiden's help, their situation improved.
Seeing his master take Roger and Newgate's side, coming at him with his glaive whilst he was unarmed, Ace snorted and said that he had long since wanted to teach him a lesson for how he had been bullied by him when he was younger.
Aiden's trademark lazy smile was still on his face as he told him to bring it on. At the same time, he passed the twins their respective weapons.
Still, even though they weren't quite as thoroughly suppressed, Ace still held the upper hand, suppressing his master and two children more and more with each attack, his laughter bringing even Aiden no small sense of frustration.
It was then, though, whilst he had his back to the crowd, that Killian and Wukong attacked Ace, too.
One by one, each of his friends and family joined the fight against Ace. Although none of them used more power than that of a mortal, they were still some of the most powerful beings in the universe. Their level of skill was simply unheard of!
Between the fact that so many experts were aiding them and their near godly perception, the already impressive skill of Roger and Newgate was increasing at a frightening rate. Still, Ace was simply too strong. Even facing off against so many at the same time, Ace was still able to easily hold his own, displaying a level of glaivesmanship that made even Aiden marvel.
But things finally changed after Linley joined the battle. Although he was still far from Ace's level of skill and likely wouldn't be able to close the gap until he made a breakthrough, after comprehending the Laws of Chaos, Linley's comprehension of the world and, by extension, swordsmanship had reached a level second only to Ace's.
Slowly, Ace was finally being suppressed by the crowd. When it looked like he was actually going to lose, he couldn't help but turn to his wife, who was still watching from the side with the same amused smile on her face and asked if she was really going to watch her beloved husband lose.
In response, Amira smiled and asked if he was saying that he, the all-powerful "son of heaven", needed her help.
Ace couldn't help but roll his eyes at his wife. Even though she wasn't really jealous of him, she hadn't lost her competitive edge. He knew that unless he gave her this small win, she really would just watch him lose without batting an eye.
Still, he may not be willing to concede to others, but his wife was different. In his eyes, without her, there would be no him – he felt no way about conceding to her.
The moment he did, Amira joined the fight alongside her husband against quite literally all of their friends and family, and the moment she did, something shocking happened.
It had been an extremely long time since Ace and Amira fought side by side like this, and although they were using no more strength than an average adult mortal yet to begin cultivating, they actually slipped into a dazed state.
After his last breakthrough, Ace had inadvertently comprehended every Law and Concept imaginable in the universe. It should be impossible for him to make any further breakthroughs, at least as far as his comprehension was concerned, but between the happiness he felt whilst "fighting" against his loved ones and then the euphoria he experienced when his wife fought alongside him, somehow he managed to make another breakthrough, and thanks to their bond as soulmates, as well as their fighting alongside one another, Amira shared in his breakthrough, experiencing everything he did.
Suddenly, the natural laws tried to descend – tried being the operative word in the sentence. The moment they appeared, Ace's Willpower pulsated out of him, all but snuffing out the power of heaven that attempted to bless him. Then, before his Willpower disappeared, it transmuted into a form of energy eerily similar to that of the natural laws.
Ace's will-turned-laws of nature enveloped both him and his wife, who suddenly came to a stop to accept the baptism.
At the same time, the all too familiar "chimes of Heaven" sounded through the universe once again.