"Hmph… This sickly little guy's not as simple as he looks."
Shakuyaku's gaze lingered on Genkei, intrigued.
"'Uchiha,' was it? Never heard of them. Mysterious, that's for sure…"
She filed the name away in her mind.
"Kid, are you absolutely sure this information is real?"
Rayleigh had finally collected himself. His expression was grim as he locked eyes with Genkei.
"This isn't something you joke about."
"Of course."
Genkei nodded confidently.
"After the Roger Pirates disbanded, your captain headed to the South Blue. There, on Baterilla Island, he met and fell in love with a woman named Portgas D. Rouge. They spent a year together. She became pregnant."
"Then Roger turned himself in and triggered the Great Pirate Era."
"But the World Government caught wind of rumors that he had a child in the South Blue. They sent agents swarming into the region—hunting down pregnant women, executing them indiscriminately."
"You remember that, right, Aunt Shaku?"
"Vividly."
Shakuyaku nodded, face dark.
"That incident left a deep impression. A lot of innocents died. Of course, anything involving Roger… this old man of mine kept a close eye on."
"But the whole thing went nowhere in the end. They never found the child."
"So, Rouge really managed to evade the World Government's search?"
"It's true."
Genkei nodded again.
"She survived because Vice Admiral Garp was protecting her from the shadows. Rouge kept the baby inside her for nearly two full years—delaying labor just to avoid detection."
"She gave birth the moment the coast was clear."
"And died immediately after."
Silence fell.
Even Shakuyaku and Chiri, seasoned veterans, felt a pang in their chests.
To endure that much… she'd been a fierce woman. A mother to be remembered.
"…So it really happened."
Shakuyaku's tone was heavy.
"That poor girl."
"Garp?" Rayleigh's expression twisted. "Garp helped hide her? That bastard Roger trusted him—but didn't trust me?"
"Tch… Sounds exactly like something that idiot would do!"
Shakuyaku shook her head gently. "Actually, it was the smartest move."
"When Garp makes a promise, he keeps it."
"Unlike you guys, Roger's crew were under constant surveillance. The government was watching every one of you like hawks."
"Fair point."
Rayleigh sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"So we owe that damn geezer a favor. A big one."
"Where is the kid now? Don't tell me he's being hidden in Marineford?"
The very idea made him grimace.
Roger's son, raised as a marine? That'd be something else.
Like a cat marrying off a mouse.
"Nope."
Genkei smirked.
"He's in Windmill Village, in the East Blue. Garp handed him off to a mountain bandit named Dadan."
"Oh—and Garp also formally adopted him. Recognized him as his own grandson."
"Pfft—he probably did it just to spite Roger. Wanted to make Roger call him Dad."
Rayleigh: "…"
Shakuyaku: "…"
There were too many things to roast in that sentence—they didn't even know where to begin.
"A mountain bandit? Called him grandson?"
Rayleigh rubbed his temples.
"Yeah. That sounds exactly like something Garp would do. That damn lunatic."
Shakuyaku chuckled.
"If Roger were alive to see this, he'd probably want to kill Garp."
"But you know what? In a weird way… they're even now. Roger gave Garp a bomb to babysit. Garp gave him a posthumous slap in the face."
It was karmic retribution. Beautifully ironic.
She could only imagine Garp's mood when he first got saddled with that job.
The screaming. The cursing. Probably broke a few walls.
But he'd never have turned it down, not from Roger.
"Bwahahaha!"
Rayleigh roared with laughter.
"Well, he deserved it!"
"He left that kind of mess behind? Garp's totally within his rights to screw him back!"
"Portgas D. Ace, huh? Yeah, Roger would name his son after his favourite sabre."
"…Not quite."
Genkei shook his head.
"His full name is Portgas D. Ace. Not Gol D. Ace."
"That's not just to throw the government off."
"It's because Ace hates Roger."
"He doesn't see Roger as a father—he blames him for everything."
"For his mother's death. For the bloodline curse he carries. For the way people look at him. He sees Roger as a deadbeat who left him nothing but pain."
"So… if you plan on meeting him, I'd advise you to tread carefully."
Rayleigh's face stiffened. He reached for a bottle and poured himself a heavy swig.
"…I get it."
"The kid's shouldering a mountain."
"And Garp… that bastard. He's not fit to guide anyone. I wouldn't trust him with a goldfish, let alone a traumatized boy."
"I've got a bad feeling."
"Ace might follow his father's footsteps and go to sea."
"He's smart. Sharp."
Rayleigh had no doubt Garp was trying to shape Ace into a marine.
But if that were the case—why leave him with a mountain bandit?
Why not keep him in Marineford?
Because Garp himself didn't trust the World Government. Didn't buy into their version of "justice."
If Ace really grew up in the Navy's heart, he might've met a worse fate.
Rayleigh had fought the man. He knew him.
Garp was no fool.
"Anyway—about your request," Rayleigh continued, recovering.
"I accept."
"Give me a little time, and I'll write down everything I know about the three Haki types, Rokushiki, and Life Return."
"But let me be clear…"
"Conqueror's Haki isn't something just anyone can learn. Even with notes, you won't get far without the right will."
"If you do awaken it, though—come find me again. I'll teach you everything I know."
"The same goes for Armament and Observation Haki. If you get stuck, I'll help."
"Rokushiki, though—that one you can study on your own. It's a foundation skill. Designed to unlock the body's potential and prepare for Haki."
"But Life Return is different. It evolved from Rokushiki, but it's far, far harder."
"Even I spent years mastering just the basics."
"Don't push too hard. Know your limits."
Life Return… can't be forced.