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Garp looked deeply at Rojen before speaking again.
"I don't know where you've hidden Rouge, but since you came out this time without her, it means she must be somewhere in the Alabasta region. And that region has already been designated by the Marines as a key search zone. A Lieutenant Commander dispatched from Headquarters is already negotiating with Alabasta's king."
Noticing Rojen's face darken, Garp paused before continuing.
"Maybe… it won't be long before the Marines catch her."
Taking a deep breath, Rojen met Garp's gaze squarely.
"You're telling me all this, what's your purpose?"
"I made a promise to that guy, to protect his wife and descendants." Garp sighed, his expression conflicted.
"I broke that promise."
"So, you want to know where Rouge and the others are?" Rojen asked.
"That's right." Garp nodded. "Kid, you're caught in a massive storm. The Celestial Dragons are not enemies you can afford to cross lightly. With Rouge following you, her life can never be stable, she's in constant danger."
"Don't forget, she's still a pregnant woman!"
Rojen fell silent. After thinking seriously for a moment, he looked up and met Garp's eyes.
"I'll tell you where Rouge is, but you have to help me get to Long Ring Island!"
Garp froze, then sighed once he understood.
"You still intend to go to the Holy Land?"
"My companion is there. I don't know what would drive a Celestial Dragon to leave the Holy Land and abandon their lofty status, but I do know that within her heart lies a pain I cannot comprehend."
Rojen's voice was firm and resolute.
This small team that had just formed, each member harbored a story of their own. Take Jason: despite his overwhelming strength, why was he confined to a nameless little pirate ship? Or Trens: just sixteen, yet already a master of seemingly supernatural shooting skills, with a will far stronger than most adults. And then Crocodile: rugged, ugly, even a bit savage, but within him hid a surprising tenderness and sensitivity few could imagine.
To Rojen, every crew member was a treasure, something he cherished and was determined to protect. Though none of them had openly shared their pasts, they shared a silent understanding, protecting the bond of friendship among them.
Quietly, they were experiencing something rare, a bond called brotherhood.
"You really are just like him..." Garp muttered, his face unreadable, but he offered no further dissuasion.
He had once seen that woman, Rojen's companion, at a nearby Marine base. She was nothing like the typical Celestial Dragons. If anything, she was more like a serene, cold woman whose bright eyes harbored unfathomable sorrow. Even Garp had been momentarily entranced by her.
"That woman…"
He began to speak, then sighed and shook his head. She bore a mysterious sadness, one that left others silently mourning for her.
Patting Rojen on the shoulder, Garp stood up.
"I agree. I'll help you get to Long Ring Island."
Hearing this, a smile spread across Rojen's face.
"But don't get too happy just yet," Garp warned. "I must remind you, Celestial Dragon power isn't as simple as it seems."
"The World Government has ruled this world for many years. As the descendants of the original Twenty Kings, their influence has multiplied a thousandfold since the old days. If you think their true strength lies only in the pompous fools you see on the surface… then you'd really disappoint me."
Garp's voice was low and grave.
"The Marines, the Army, the World Government, over 300 allied nations, along with countless assassination organizations and pirate hunters, together they form this world, and together they uphold a regime that has ruled the globe for centuries!"
"This regime wasn't built on rousing speeches or deceiving words. It was forged in blood, raw, brutal blood."
"If you want to get involved, be prepared to lose everything."
Rojen's expression grew solemn. Hearing Garp's words, he understood immediately.
This middle-aged man hadn't revealed any top-secret information, but through a broad and objective view, he had laid bare the true nature of the world.
Why had pirates remained pirates for so many years? And why did this era, triggered by just one sentence from Roger, become the Golden Age of Pirates?
It was like the eve of a revolution.
For countless years, the World Government had suppressed every corner of the world, building up vast resentment and contradictions, forming a colossal time bomb. And with Roger's final words, the fuse had finally been lit.
This was an era on the verge of detonation.
An Era of Violence.
Warlords rising everywhere, heroes pouring into the Grand Line to fight for supremacy. As they clashed and gathered strength, their goal became clear: to crown a new King, unite the chaotic wild armies, and ultimately challenge the Marines and the World Government itself.
This was not just a personal dream; it was a historic trend, the will of the age itself.
"I understand." When Rojen spoke, his voice was heavy.
A grand trend was one thing, but the reality was this: pirates were still fragmented and disorganized. Meanwhile, the Marines and the World Government remained solid and unshakable, like an iron wall.
The pressure Rojen faced under these circumstances was unimaginable.
"You want to enter the Holy Land and take away a Celestial Dragon. That's not just a provocation against them, it's a provocation against the entire world. Do you understand the consequences of that?"
Garp's words rang out again.
This wasn't the pressure of fighting a Marine or even a powerhouse, it was the weight of standing against the entire world.
A flicker of nervousness, even fear, appeared in Rojen's heart. But in the next instant, his entire body jolted as he snapped out of it. His expression hardened into a bold, confident smile, overflowing with defiant spirit.
"My companion, I will bring her back."
"Even if it means standing against the whole world, so be it!"
As the final word fell, a powerful aura burst from Rojen, his cloak whipping and flapping violently in the wind.
Even Garp, standing nearby, was momentarily stunned by the sheer force of his presence.
After a long silence, Garp finally spoke in a soft voice.
"You're just like him… and yet, not like him."
"No, old man Garp, I'm not like him!" Rojen smiled.
"Oh?"
"He died, but I won't!"
"I'll make that old fossil lie in his coffin with his eyes wide open, watching this world…"
"Watching as it falls into my hands, and I reshape it into something new!"
Garp's face changed in shock, but in the next moment, he burst out in laughter.
"You've got the same spirit as my son. You two might actually get along."
"Dragon, huh? He won't let you down," Rojen said with a faint smile.
"Of course not, he's going to become an outstanding Marine!" Garp laughed.
Rojen didn't respond. He just shook his head.
Only he knew, Dragon's future lies far beyond the Marines.
(End Of This Chapter)