Although Garp's attitude caught Mo Wu completely off guard, he quickly understood the old man's feelings.
After all, when the rival you've chased your entire life suddenly tells you he's dying and has come to turn himself in, who would dare bet there isn't some deeper scheme behind it?
In truth, Garp's instructions to Mo Wu could also be seen as a final act of care for Roger's last moments.
Their relationship was far too complicated.
They were enemies, yet also kindred spirits.
They had weathered countless storms together and witnessed each other's growth and change.
As for whether Garp had ever truly been trying his hardest to catch Roger… Mo Wu privately placed a very large question mark over that.
"Understood. I'll find a good angle when the time comes."
Mo Wu answered in a low voice, his eyes once more drifting toward Roger's heart.
Mm… stand on the left side then. Aim carefully and make it quick.
Garp and Mo Wu's conversation was strange enough, but Roger didn't seem especially uneasy about it.
Or perhaps he had long since prepared himself mentally, so it no longer mattered.
His smile stiffened for only a moment before returning to normal.
He looked Mo Wu over as though measuring him.
"Hmm… looks like the kid's got some guts after all."
"Well… when the time comes, just make it clean."
"Heh, more than just some guts."
Garp sneered coldly, but there was a trace of pride in the way he looked at Roger.
"Our Marines have no shortage of talent either, old bastard. Bet you didn't expect it—Shiki died by his hand."
Ignoring Garp's boast about Marine talent, surprise flashed across Roger's eyes.
So Shiki… really didn't make it.
Roger lowered his head and sat in silence for a long while, as if mourning an old rival.
Only after some time passed did he look back up, his eyes filled with approval as he regarded Mo Wu.
"The younger generation is truly frightening," Roger said with a smile, genuine appreciation in his tone. "Even with that ship's wheel jammed in his skull, Shiki wasn't someone an ordinary man could handle."
At the side, Garp couldn't help adding fuel to the fire. His tone carried a smug edge as he looked at Roger.
"Tsk tsk. Shiki even shattered his own blades, and he still couldn't escape from Mo Wu."
Am I really that impressive?
How come I didn't know that?
"Hahahahaha! Roger, the future belongs to the Marines now. You pirates are all headed for the garbage heap of history."
Looking at the Marine Hero provoking Roger so shamelessly, Mo Wu genuinely wanted to turn around and walk out.
But Roger didn't seem bothered at all.
On the contrary, he laughed right along with Garp and seemed even more appreciative of Mo Wu.
"Hahahahaha!"
"I really am looking forward to the era that's coming!"
"Mo Wu, it's a real pity I wasn't born in the same era as you."
Roger tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, as though his gaze could pierce through the thick stone walls and reach the boundless sea beyond.
"Tch."
The feeling was like punching a pillow—completely powerless.
After a moment of silence, Garp spoke again, this time with a helpless tone.
"Old bastard, stop thinking about the sea. Tomorrow you're getting sent to Impel Down, and Sengoku and I will be watching you personally."
"Pirate King Roger."
With that, the Marine Hero flicked his sleeve and said no more. He turned, opened the door in one smooth motion, and stepped onto the stairs.
Boom.
As the heavy door slammed shut, only Mo Wu and Roger remained inside, staring at each other.
You old bastard, did you just forget about me?!
"That old monkey…"
Roger shook his head with a laugh, then pointed warmly toward another bed opposite his own.
"Why don't you lie there, kid? You look like you really need the rest."
Mo Wu nodded and didn't refuse. He turned and lay down immediately.
Although the milestone reward had restored his body to peak condition, the exhaustion in his mind and spirit hadn't eased at all.
He still felt utterly drained.
The bed beneath him was hard as stone, but he didn't mind.
After letting out a yawn, he shifted his attention inward and opened the personal interface he hadn't checked in quite some time.
[Mo Wu]
Class: Dreamer
Combat Power: First Tier (High)
Dream Points: 200
Paradise Points: 0
Talents: Great Undertaking, Transparent World, Demon Mark, Dawn-Bathed Eyes, Strength of Nine Oxen and Two Tigers (70%)
Skills: Heart That Knows All Things (Pseudo), Hybrid Breathing, Demon Mark, Violent Blood, Life Return: Absorption, Observation Killer, Basic Swordsmanship Lv.5, Sun Breathing Lv.4, Demon Slayer Lv.4, Thunder Breathing Lv.3, Six Powers Lv.2, Armament Haki Lv.3, Observation Haki Lv.3, Conqueror's Haki Lv.1
Great Undertaking: Marine Hero (33%)
Equipment: Nichirin Blade +4
Items: Dream Notebook (Locked), Paramecia-Type Float-Float Fruit
He didn't bother with the newly added skill called Observation Killer.
Instead, his eyes locked onto the newly appeared advancement section.
Great Undertaking: "Marine Hero"
You have ended an era!
Milestones: Shiki (Complete), Roger (Pending), ? (Locked)
Advancement Progress: 33%
Mo Wu swallowed.
A greedy gleam appeared in his eyes as he looked toward Roger lying on the other bed.
The stare was so blatant that even Roger, who had been half-closing his eyes to rest, began to feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Just when Roger finally couldn't hold back and was about to remind him of his manners, Mo Wu at last withdrew his gaze.
Mm… that question mark is obviously Whitebeard.
But what exactly does this "advancement" mean?
Scratching his head, Mo Wu couldn't quite make sense of it.
It was obvious enough that his talent, Great Undertaking, was basically telling him outright that if he finished off Roger and Whitebeard, then once all the milestones were completed and unlocked, that advancement bar would be filled.
But what would he actually gain when it filled?
That part left him confused.
Would it evolve into stronger skills? Better equipment?
Mo Wu was completely in the dark.
After all, this was the first time his talent had ever so clearly urged him to complete a chain of milestones tied to a greater undertaking.
He had swung his blade a million times and killed a hundred demons, yet never once had Great Undertaking hinted at "advancement."
Perhaps…
Those feats simply hadn't reached the threshold for a true "great undertaking."
The moment that thought came to him, Mo Wu's eyes drifted involuntarily back to Roger.
Ah… isn't this basically a walking humanoid prize vault?!
The great pirates really did live up to their reputations.
"Mo Wu, enough already! If you're going to sleep, then sleep properly!"
Roger finally snapped.
Even someone with Roger's temperament was starting to lose it under Mo Wu's gaze.
Though his hands were immobilized by Seastone cuffs, he was still the Pirate King!
"Get some proper sleep now. Garp will come for you tomorrow."
Crackle, crackle.
Tiny black-and-red arcs of lightning began to dance around Roger's body.
Roger's eyes widened slightly.
Mo Wu absolutely—
Hm?
Seeing the grin Mo Wu was clearly suppressing, Roger's eyes widened even further.
Mo Wu: …Do your eyes not get tired?
Boom!
Black-and-red lightning exploded outward.
Bloodshot veins began to creep into Roger's eyes.
He refused to believe that he, the Pirate King, couldn't make this little Marine get some sleep tonight.
And yet, the moment a red glow suddenly lit up around Mo Wu's body, it felt as though invisible black sparks exploded in the space between them.
But it lasted for less than a second.
The black-and-red energy around Roger vanished in an instant.
Then—
"Cough cough cough cough cough!"
Blood spilled from Roger's mouth.
His eyes rolled back, and he blacked out on the spot, collapsing onto the bed and beginning to convulse.
"Roger?!"
Retracting the Conqueror's Haki he had instinctively released to protect himself, Mo Wu stared at the twitching man on the bed, utterly dumbfounded.
Was he really about to become the first executioner in history to kill the Pirate King in a clash of Conqueror's Haki before the execution even happened?
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