"Could this boy Rain be a student of Roger?"
The thought slipped out almost unconsciously from Sengoku's lips as he read through the report.
That saber alone, Roger's saber was enough to raise suspicions.
A weapon of such importance wouldn't be entrusted lightly, unless the bond between the two was extremely close.
"What about his background?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru frowned as she scanned the files, then raised her eyes to Fleet Admiral Kong.
"…Nothing."
Kong shook his head, his expression grim.
"His first appearance was in Loguetown. Everything after that you've already seen in the reports. But before then? Not a single trace."
"The Cipher Pol agencies didn't dig up anything either?" Tsuru pressed.
When it came to information, CP was often sharper than the Navy itself.
Kong shook his head again. "Nothing. Not a shred of data exists on him."
"…Then the possibilities are limited."
Tsuru leaned back, thinking aloud.
"Either Roger secretly trained him in secret or he lived isolated on some uninhabited island, and by sheer chance ended up with Roger's saber."
The room fell into heavy silence.
"Secretly raised by Roger?" Sengoku muttered, deep in thought.
"Impossible."
The voice that broke the silence was Garp's. The Vice Admiral crossed his arms and snorted.
"Why?" Sengoku and the others turned to him. If anyone knew Roger better than most, it was Garp.
"Because Roger doesn't have the brain for that kind of thing," Garp said bluntly, scratching his nose.
"…"
Everyone stared at him. They had expected insight. What they got instead was… that.
Still, somehow, it rang true.
"So… what do we do about this boy?" Sengoku finally asked, scanning the faces around him.
"He isn't a pirate. In fact, he's been attacking pirates. What reason do we have to move against him?"
Zephyr's voice was calm, almost stern. "We're the Navy. Not pirates."
"Zephyr's right."
Garp nodded in agreement. "Just because he's holding a blade that belonged to Roger doesn't mean we can kill him."
"If that logic held, then what if some king of a World Government nation held the saber, we'd execute him too?"
"There's no justice in that."
The room once again grew quiet, but this time, no one argued.
"Continue to monitor their movements."
Seeing no objections, Kong concluded the meeting with finality.
As for Rain and Mira exchanging massive bounties at naval bases? That didn't trouble him in the slightest.
After all, the payouts came from the World Government. Not from Marine coffers.
With such a powerful backing, Kong could state proudly:
"As long as it's a problem that can be solved with money… then it isn't a problem at all."
The discussion quickly shifted.
"Alright," Sengoku said, his expression hardening.
"Let's move on to how we deal with the flood of pirates entering the seas. Compared to Roger's legacy, they are the real threat."
The room's focus turned, and the meeting continued.
Grand Line — Iskalan Island
It was no famous place. Just another patch of land in the endless Grand Line.
But here stood a man who had once boarded and sailed on the Oro Jackson.
Douglas Bullet.
"Roger…"
Bullet stood on a jagged rock overlooking the raging sea. His gaze was dark, his expression twisted with turmoil.
The man he admired most was gone. The Pirate King had been executed.
And with him, Bullet's ambition had been shattered.
"This boring sea…"
His face contorted, rage distorting his features.
Roger was gone. The one man he wanted to surpass no longer existed.
If Roger was gone, then what meaning did his dream have? What meaning did this world have?
"Ahhhhh, ROGER!!!"
His roar shook the sky, and with it came a violent surge of energy.
Unrestrained, Bullet's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward, pouring over the island and sea like a crushing tide.
"If Roger's dead, then there's no point to this world!" he growled, his killing intent unmasked.
"I'll destroy it all!"
The air trembled. The sea quaked.
But then...
Another wave of Haki slammed against his own.
Bullet froze, his eyes narrowing.
"…This Haki…?" His lips curled upward into a wild grin.
"It's like Roger's… no, not quite."
"It's similar… but weaker and different at the same time. I can't quite put my finger on it."
"Hahahaha"
His laughter echoed... filled with madness and excitement. The overwhelming pressure of his own Conqueror's Haki burst forth to answer the challenger.
On the deck of a small ship, Rain and Mira stood at the bow, staring at the island in the distance.
The unrestrained Haki rolling across the sea pressed down like a storm. Even from here, its presence was suffocating.
"…So this is Douglas Bullet," Rain murmured. His eyes narrowed in awe and anticipation.
"It's really strong…"
Mira's face lit up with exhilaration. She knew she wasn't his match but that didn't matter.
She loved the thrill of clashing with monsters like this.
"Full Take Over — Satan Soul!"
Her voice rang out, and in an instant, her body transformed completely. Black wings unfurled, her eyes glowed crimson, and demonic energy roared from her body.
She didn't wait. With a single beat of her wings, Mira shot forward like a meteor, heading straight for Bullet.
"…This girl."
Rain smiled bitterly, shaking his head. But without hesitation, he leapt after her. If Mira faltered against Bullet, he would be there to strike.
Iskalan Shore
"Oh? You dare attack me head-on?"
Bullet's eyes widened as he saw Mira's charge, and then his face split into a crazed smile.
Surprised? Yes. Impressed that she could fly? Slightly.
But did it matter?
No.
Only battle mattered.
"Come then!"
"Darkness Rages!"
Mira's magic surged, a torrent of black energy crashing down as she closed in on the monster called Douglas Bullet.
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