What Inspired Roger Freedman To Write His First Novel?

I love tracing character arcs across a long show, and with 'Outlander' the way people come and go across timelines makes it extra fun. Brianna and Roger show up as major players starting in season 3 — that's where adult Brianna (Sophie Skelton) and Roger (Richard Rankin) become central to the plot, moving the narrative into the next generation. From season 3 onward they’re part of the main ensemble, so you’ll find them in seasons 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 — five seasons in total so far. They’re not just background characters; their storyline brings fresh stakes and a different point of view to the Claire-and-Jamie era. Brianna’s connection to both centuries and Roger’s evolution from scholar to partner add emotional weight and new conflicts. If you’ve read the books, their arc takes cues from 'Voyager' and later novels, but the show carves its own path too. I love how the series balances their modern perspectives with the older time period — it keeps the show feeling alive, and their chemistry really grew on me over those five seasons.

If we include Gol D. Roger himself, the question almost answers itself: he was the strongest by far — he reached the summit of the sea and earned the title Pirate King in 'One Piece'. But I get that most people asking this are actually wondering which crewmate was the toughest after the captain. For me, this comes down to two names: Silvers Rayleigh and Kozuki Oden. Rayleigh is the seasoned Haki virtuoso who could casually spar with Admirals and later trained Luffy, showing mastery of all three Haki types and ridiculous durability and speed. Oden, on the other hand, was a raw powerhouse samurai with monstrous physical strength, brutal swordsmanship, and a reputation that made him match up with figures like Kaido in their flashbacks. Shanks is in the mix too — he matured into a Yonko — but during the Roger days he wasn’t yet at his peak. If I had to pick one crewmate on balance, I lean toward Rayleigh for technique and overall combat IQ, but Oden was probably the single most physically terrifying fighter. It’s the classic brain-and-skill versus raw-muscle debate, and I love that 'One Piece' gives us both types to argue about while I re-read the voyage on slow evenings.

I still get goosebumps thinking about how Gol D. Roger’s crew stitched together the trail to the final island in 'One Piece'. They didn’t find the treasure by following a single map—what they did was more like archaeology mixed with old-fashioned pirate stubbornness. They chased stories in taverns, bribed port scholars, and fought their way into libraries and ruins to pry loose fragments of history. A big part of their success was having someone who could actually read the ancient stones: Kozuki Oden. His ability to read poneglyphs turned scattered carvings into directions instead of mere curiosities. Beyond reading, they used triangulation. Some stones—what we now call Road Poneglyphs—contained coordinates or hints, and Roger’s team collected enough of those clues to triangulate where the final island lay. Layered on top of that were the usual pirate tools: eavesdropping, interrogating captains, trading favors, and surviving brutal seas with fierce Haki and seamanship. The whole thing wasn’t a straight line; it was patient, brutal, clever work—equal parts brains and brawn. Thinking about it makes me want to trace their route on a map and imagine the conversations under dim lanterns where whole pieces of history were finally sewn together.

I still get chills thinking about that wild moment when the whole world learned what Gol D. Roger had done. In my head, it plays like a scene from 'One Piece' you pause and stare at—the captain and his crew didn't go burying a conventional treasure chest on some secret beach. They made it to the final island, Laugh Tale, and everything they found or left behind is tied to that place. Roger's execution and his last words—basically handing the world a map made of mystery—sparked the Great Pirate Era, not because he hid one chest but because he left something far bigger for people to chase. I like to imagine the crew sitting on the decks afterward, laughing about the irony: all the gold and secrets at Laugh Tale, but the real score was the history and the challenge itself. Fans argue about whether bits of the haul were scattered world-wide, or if the Poneglyphs and that final revelation count as the true treasure. Either way, for me the point sticks: the biggest thing Roger left wasn't a buried chest under an X, it was a story waiting to be uncovered at Laugh Tale, and that sparks adventures even now.

Seeing that final execution scene in 'One Piece' hit me harder than I expected — not because Roger died, but because of what he said as he went. He didn't just leave behind treasure; he left behind a dare. When Gol D. Roger reached Laugh Tale and uncovered the truth (and the One Piece itself), the fact that he declared his treasure open basically turned his discovery into a public map for dreams. His execution became the megaphone: he shouted that anyone could go find it, and that single act spread the idea of becoming a pirate like wildfire. Beyond the speech, there are layers: Roger was the kind of captain who embodied freedom and curiosity, so people wanted that life, not just the wealth. The World Government's reaction — tightening control, scapegoating pirates, and making them legendary figures — only made the romantic image stronger. I still get chills thinking about the crowds reacting to his last words; it felt like the whole world suddenly had permission to chase something impossible. For me, it’s the mix of spectacle and meaning. The Great Pirate Era needed more than treasure; it needed hope and provocation. Roger gave both, and then the ocean filled with people chasing that spark. Even years later, flipping through those panels at 2 a.m., I feel that same urge to chase a wild, impossible dream.

I've dug through release lists, fansub archives, and storefront pages so you don't have to: there is no officially licensed English dub for 'You Want a New Mommy? Roger That?'. From what I can track, this title has remained a pretty niche release — often the fate of short OVAs, special shorts bundled with manga volumes, or region-specific extras. Major Western licensors like the usual suspects never put out a Region A dub or an English-language Blu-ray/DVD listing for it, which usually means the only legal way people outside Japan have been watching it is with subtitles. That said, it hasn’t been completely inaccessible. Enthusiast fansubbing groups and hobby translators have historically picked up titles like this, so you’ll often find subtitled rips, community translations, or fan-made subtitle tracks floating around places where collectors congregate. There are also occasional fan dubs — amateur voice projects posted on video-sharing sites or shared among forums — but those are unofficial and vary wildly in quality. If you prefer polished English performances, those won't match a professional studio dub, but they can be charming in their own DIY way. Why no dub? A lot of tiny factors: limited demand, short runtime, or rights being tangled up in anthology releases. Sometimes a short like 'You Want a New Mommy? Roger That?' appears as part of a larger compilation or as a DVD extra, and licensors decide it isn't worth the cost to commission a dub for a five- or ten-minute piece. If you want to hunt for the cleanest viewing experience, importing a Japanese disc with a subtitle track (or a reliable fansub) tends to be the best route. Communities on sites like MyAnimeList, Reddit, or dedicated retro anime groups can point you to legit sources and alert you if a dub ever arrives. Personally, I find these little oddball titles endearing precisely because they stay niche — subs feel more authentic most of the time, and you catch little cultural jokes that dubs sometimes smooth over. If someday a disc company decides to license and dub it, I’ll be first in line to hear how they handle the dialogue, but until then I’m content reading the subtitles and enjoying the quirks.

I went down a rabbit hole looking for 'You Want a New Mommy? Roger That' and here’s what I found and felt about it. Short version up front: there doesn’t seem to be a widely distributed official English release as of the last time I checked, but there are fan translations and community uploads floating around. I tracked mentions on places like MangaDex, NovelUpdates, and a couple of translator blogs, where partial chapters or batches have been translated by volunteers. Quality varies—some translators do line edits, others are rougher machine-assisted reads. If you want to read it properly, my recommendation is twofold: support an official release if it ever appears (check publisher sites like Yen Press, Seven Seas, J-Novel Club, or any press that licenses niche titles), and in the meantime, lean on fan groups while being mindful of legality and the creators. I personally skimmed a fan translation and enjoyed the core premise enough to keep an eye out for a legit English edition—there’s something charming about the story that makes waiting feel worthwhile.

You bet — there are actually a handful of character-focused resources for 'You Want a New Mommy? Roger That?' if you know where to look. I’ve dug through official extras, fan wikis, and translated posts, and what you find varies from slim official profiles to really rich community-made dossiers. Official sources sometimes include short character notes in volume extras or on the publisher’s site, but the meat is often in fan work: wikis that compile spoilers, timelines, personality breakdowns, and image galleries; Tumblr/Pixiv posts with annotated panels; and Discord servers where fans paste screenshots and discuss nuance. If you want a useful guide right now, follow the big fan wiki pages, check out pinned threads on the fandom Discord for a combined character list and timeline, and hunt down translation posts on Twitter/X where people parse names, honorifics, and weird idioms. I also recommend saving a personal spreadsheet with each character’s relationships, catchphrases, and costume changes — that’s how I keep track when the cast grows or flashbacks complicate the timeline. It’s been fun collecting details, and it makes rereads much richer.