The Pirate King's thunderous laughter echoed across the deck. His words struck like a bolt from the blue, but Yoriichi Tsugikuni showed no reaction.
Issho and Mihawk both stood in stunned silence, disbelief etched on their faces. Yet the young Marine Vice Admiral merely looked at Roger, then silently slid his black blade back into its sheath.
"Eh? Hey kid, you're not even a little surprised?!"
"Come on, at least act shocked! It wouldn't kill you!"
Roger, who clearly had mastered Life Return, had already clamped down on the bleeding from his deep wound. Yet upon seeing Yoriichi's calm expression, even he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Yoriichi, however, had long guessed the Pirate King's intention.
Ever since Genshiro's transponder snail call revealed Roger's appearance in Dressrosa, Yoriichi had begun to suspect the Pirate King was not there for battle. And now, his theory was confirmed.
Surrender.
Roger had come to turn himself in.
But what caught Yoriichi off guard wasn't the act, it was who Roger chose. Not his old "best buddy" Garp, but him, a young Vice Admiral who'd only met Roger a few times.
"Aren't you curious why?"
"You seriously don't want to know the reason?" Roger asked with a strange itch in his heart.
He hadn't expected this. Usually, when teasing Shanks or Buggy, they'd always fall for his bait. But Yoriichi... just didn't take the bait.
"This kid really isn't like a teenager. Not even a bit of curiosity?"
Roger eyed the teen Marine with a strange sense of wonder.
Fortunately, Mihawk stepped in to save the moment. He crossed his arms and asked directly, "Why would a man like you surrender?"
Roger opened his mouth to answer, but Yoriichi beat him to it.
"He's dying."
"Oi! Damn brat, don't steal my line!"
Roger scowled, his dramatic reveal ruined. But a moment later, his face stiffened. He narrowed his eyes.
"How do you know I'm dying?"
Issho and Mihawk both froze.
Until that moment, they'd been wracking their brains, wondering if this was some ploy, was Roger planning an ambush? Looking for revenge? Or maybe attempting a breakout from Impel Down?
None of them had guessed the truth.
The Pirate King… was dying?
It sounded fake. Ridiculous, even. But with Roger's own confirmation, reality struck hard.
Their gazes fell on Yoriichi again.
How did he know?
"I'm not like most people. I can see things others can't," Yoriichi said casually.
Roger nodded in approval, not pressing further. In a world filled with strange powers, this wasn't hard to believe. There were Lunarians, ancient giants, what was so strange about a Marine with mysterious insight?
Besides, anyone who'd grown this strong, this fast, had to be carrying something unusual.
"So, no one else knows?" Roger asked.
"I told Vice Admiral Garp. No one else. Not that anyone would've believed me anyway."
That answer seemed to relax Roger a little.
Yoriichi didn't see the need to be secretive. If Roger truly intended to surrender, he no longer needed to treat him as an enemy. And with the "eye of truth" he possessed, he could tell, Roger was being honest.
Another man might remain suspicious, but not Yoriichi.
He'd seen the Pirate King's heart.
"Kid, can we talk in private? Send your two subordinates away for a bit?"
Roger nodded toward Issho and Mihawk, who immediately tensed. Issho's fingers clenched tighter around the hilt of his blade, the air thick with caution.
"No need."
"These two are my most trusted allies. Say what you want, I have nothing to hide from them."
Yoriichi stepped forward, patting Issho's shoulder. His reassurance was calm, but firm.
Roger hesitated.
He knew the moment he surrendered, the World Government would never kill him quietly. They'd want a public execution, to cement their authority. And that was exactly what he needed.
One final chance... to shake the world.
The One Piece.
If people sought the treasure, they'd eventually uncover the secrets the World Government buried for 800 years. And one day, the person meant to liberate the world would appear.
But alongside that dream, Roger had one final wish.
To protect his wife… and his unborn child.
In his final days, Roger had found love. His wife was pregnant when he last set sail. A man who'd always been alone now had a family to safeguard.
So why not entrust them to his crew?
Because he didn't want his child raised like a pirate.
If he asked Rayleigh or the others, his child would be dragged into the same future as him, hunted. Instead, he needed someone just, someone strong, someone who stood outside the pirate life.
He'd considered Garp, of course. They were both D-blooded, and Roger trusted him like a brother.
But after spending time in Dressrosa... after watching Yoriichi fight with his life on the line... Roger made up his mind.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the youngest Vice Admiral in history.
Disciple of Admiral Zephyr.
Trusted by Garp himself.
He had the heart of justice, the strength to protect, and the name to command respect.
If anyone could shield his wife and child, it was him.
After a long pause, Roger looked at Issho and Mihawk again, studying them carefully. Then he exhaled and made his request:
"Along with my surrender, I want you, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, to protect my wife... and my unborn child."
The moment those words landed, Mihawk's eyes widened sharply. Even Issho's closed lids twitched open, revealing flashes of white.
Yoriichi closed his eyes, sighing silently.
"So it was that."
Silence hung over the deck.
Roger had placed his bet. Ever since deciding to surrender, he'd known he was stepping onto the roulette wheel. Whether he chose Garp or Yoriichi, it was all a gamble.
And humans, after all, could never be truly trusted.
"I know I'm a pirate. And I know once I surrender, I won't live."
"But my wife, and my child, they've never done anything wrong!"
"They never lived off my treasure or abused my name!"
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni, does your justice allow the slaughter of innocents?!"
Issho and Mihawk both turned toward him now, waiting for his answer.
"What will you do?" Issho wondered silently, heart pounding.
If this decision were his, he already knew what he'd say.
Mihawk too... though detached, was watching with interest. He wanted to see how this man, who spoke so often of "Marine justice," would respond now.
Yoriichi opened his eyes.
He let out a deep breath.
"What a troublesome thing…"
"But… I agree."
"There are tragedies every day. When we don't know about them, we can't help. But once we do know, how can we turn a blind eye?"
"I can't guarantee anything. Nothing in this world is certain."
"But your request, I'll accept it."
His words echoed across the deck like an oath.
Roger exhaled. Though Yoriichi hadn't offered some sweeping vow, his tone was steady and reliable.
To entrust his family to this young man, yes, it was the right choice.
The Dawn began to move again, sailing swiftly toward Dressrosa.
When it reached the harbor, the people of Dressrosa rushed forward in waves. The battle they'd seen from shore, those towering waves and explosive shocks, had frightened them deeply.
Their peace, their safety, had come from Yoriichi. The idea that he might've fallen had left them breathless.
The gangplank lowered.
Yoriichi was the first to descend.
"He's injured!!"
Cries broke out the moment people saw the blood-soaked wound across his chest. It was the first time they'd ever seen their Vice Admiral wounded.
Issho and Mihawk followed behind him.
But then came a man in chains.
A familiar, terrifying man.
"T-the Pirate King...!"
"Roger?!"
A bartender gasped in disbelief, instantly recognizing the shackled figure. The crowd erupted into panic and awe. Some even dashed home to grab bounty posters to compare.
There was no mistake.
The Marines had captured the Pirate King!
A world-shaking event.
Dressrosa was a hub of trade and information. News spread fast. In less than a day, the capture of Gol D. Roger reached all corners of the world.
And in Marine Headquarters,
"WHAT?!"
"Yoriichi caught WHO?!"
Fleet Admiral Sengoku leapt from his chair, roaring in disbelief as the call from the Dawn Division came through.
"Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King?!"
A legend had fallen… and the world was about to change.
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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