There were still a few days left until Roger's execution.
So, the pace of the voyage wasn't particularly fast.
On this exclusive warship—one that only a Vice Admiral could apply for—Roger was allowed to move freely.
Garp had tacitly agreed to it.
After he promised Roger to take care of his child...
Garp understood that this man, Roger, would absolutely not attempt to escape.
Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King—his charisma was truly beyond words.
Bold, cheerful, and full of humor.
Just by looking at him, one would never associate him with the title of "Pirate King."
But his identity was no secret on Garp's ship, which meant that no matter how charismatic he was, nobody dared to speak to him too much.
Except for that cook.
That left the extremely sociable Roger a bit depressed.
Still, no matter how slow the ship sailed, the day would eventually come to drop anchor and reach port.
...
"Hey, Roger, in about an hour, we'll be arriving at Loguetown."
Michael leaned against the railing, the sea breeze gently lifting his platinum hair.
In the distance, the silhouette of Loguetown was already visible on the horizon.
"This journey is finally about to end, huh." Roger nodded. "Looks like your Marines are really putting a lot of weight on this execution."
"'A lot' is putting it mildly. Right now, this is the Navy's number one priority."
"If they weren't worried something might go wrong—like the whole place getting taken down in one strike—you'd probably be seeing every single Rear Admiral and above from Marine Headquarters here today."
Michael was startled by Roger's nonchalant tone.
Even if someone was willingly sacrificing their life for their wife and child, they shouldn't be reacting like this, right?
He didn't care at all whether he was about to be executed.
Throughout the journey, Michael and Garp had been the only two people Roger could confide in.
"You don't have anything you want to ask? Like how to get to Laugh Tale?"
"Give me a break. Whoever wants to go to that dump can go. I'm not interested." Michael looked at Roger.
"You're the end of the old era. Nothing about you matters anymore."
Roger burst into laughter and didn't bother to argue.
After a long pause, Michael finally spoke again.
"...If your son becomes a pirate and ends up on the execution platform too, would you feel guilty?"
"My one and only regret," Roger sighed, his eyes clear and focused, "is that I can't be there to watch my child grow up. If that day truly comes... then maybe it really is fate."
"Is that so?" Michael nodded. "If your kid becomes a pirate and ends up sentenced by the Navy, I'll make sure to give him a swift and painless death."
"Hey! Don't just casually talk about killing someone's kid!" Roger pouted with slight annoyance.
"And why are you so sure my kid's gonna be a pirate? Wouldn't it make more sense for Garp to raise him into a Marine?"
How could this guy be so carefree and yet so perceptive at the same time?
Weird.
Is that just how all the protagonists of this world are?
"Garp's character is fine. Of course, he wants to raise the Pirate King's child to become a Marine. But..." Michael glanced around to confirm that Garp wasn't nearby, then continued, "With his personality... do you really think he's capable of raising a child properly?"
"Hiss... you've got a point there!"
Roger sucked in a breath!
He always forgot that Garp was just as erratic as he was.
"Then you've gotta give me a hand!"
Roger's eyes lit up. After a moment of thought, he patted Michael's shoulder.
"Are you trying to hire a babysitter!? Not happening!"
"Please! Michael! This is the biggest favor I've ever asked in my life!"
"Your life doesn't have much time left anyway, does it!?"
From a distance, Garp watched Roger and Michael interact.
After a long while, he sighed.
In just a few dozen minutes, the ship would be docking.
Which meant that this man—one with no airs, even shameless enough to beg Michael for help—was about to walk toward the end of his life.
Or perhaps...
Toward his destined fate.
...
The next day, at noon.
In the plaza of Loguetown, a towering execution platform stood tall.
Even under the blazing sun, it exuded a chilling, ominous presence.
Numerous high-ranking Marines and World Government officials stood around, observing the platform from all angles.
Besides watching the execution, they were also on guard in case the Roger Pirates showed up to rescue their captain.
They had all come to the same consensus: this time, they had only two goals.
Even though they had spotted several infamous pirates hiding among the crowd of civilians...
This time, the Navy would turn a blind eye to them.
Or rather... that was the Navy's true purpose all along.
To execute the Pirate King—and to strike fear into the hearts of all pirates.
If even the Pirate King fell at the Navy's execution platform, how could the rest of them hope to escape?
"The time has come!"
"Pirate King, Gol D. Roger! You have committed forty-three grievous crimes!"
"You are hereby sentenced to death! Execution to commence immediately!"
The judge read out Roger's charges.
Most of them were things Roger hadn't even done, but he couldn't be bothered to argue.
To hide the truth about the "Will of D," the World Government had even changed his name to Gold Roger.
What a joke.
Roger looked up. With the judge's shout, the massive doors before him creaked open.
Still shackled in heavy chains, Roger raised his head and slowly walked toward his final destination.
The towering execution platform.
Kneeling at the top, Roger's expression remained calm, his face devoid of emotion as he gazed down at the sea of people below.
Fear. Sadness. Joy. Anticipation. Confusion...
No matter what emotions they brought with them, they were all waiting—for the final moment of Gol D. Roger.
And so...
A proud, arrogant smile crept up his face one last time!
A surge of indomitable spirit blasted away the dark cloud of death that had hovered above Loguetown!
Then he raised his head.
The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, prepared to leave behind his final words:
"Do you want my treasure?"
"If you want it, you can have it all!"
"Go search for it!"
"I left everything... in one place!"
From the moment Roger spoke his first word, the judge had been shouting angrily, ordering the executioners to proceed immediately!
But the executioners were frozen—stunned by the overwhelming presence Roger exuded in his final moment!
Only after he finished speaking did they finally raise their long blades high.
And drove them down in a cross.
Piercing through the body already riddled with the wounds of disease and time.
The Pirate King—was dead.
The old era had finally come to an end.
But the new era had just begun!
The Great Pirate Era had arrived!
No one could say for sure whether it would be good or bad.
But that arrogance—the defiance of the Marines, of death, of everything—would forever be etched into the memories of all present.
As for his legacy... that would be left to future generations to judge.
Michael stood atop a high tower in the distance.
His wings unfurled, divine light flowing out, and a faint celestial hymn echoed around him.
He gently stroked the supreme-grade greatsword in his hand—its name: Ace.
He murmured to himself.
He recited from the Holy Scriptures—
As if offering a eulogy.
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