The moment Roger stepped out of his cell, he was immediately surrounded by three admirals Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji.
Each of their faces was tight with focus and tension as they formed a perfect triangle around the Pirate King.
Roger smiled lightly. "You don't all have to look so grim. I'm just a man at the end of his life. You don't think I can really escape, do you?"
Sengoku snorted coldly, ignoring the remark. With a wave of his hand, he ordered, "Take him away."
Under Sengoku's command, the group exited Impel Down, a heavy silence following in their wake. The chained Pirate King, the most notorious man in the world, was escorted under strict guard to Sengoku's battleship.
"Put Roger in the dungeon below deck," Sengoku instructed. He turned to Garp and added, "You go too, Garp. I trust you to keep an eye on him."
Garp gave a simple nod and followed the three admirals down into the ship's lower chambers.
Sengoku then faced the rest of the crew. "Set course for Loguetown," he said gravely.
"Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!" came the unified response.
The massive battleship cut through the waves toward Loguetown the place where one era would end, and another would begin.
In the dim dungeon, Garp and Roger sat separated by a single wall of iron bars. The three admirals had left the room, leaving the old friends alone.
Roger's breaths were labored. In the quiet, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Roger! Damn it " Garp jumped to his feet. "I'll get the doctor!"
But before he could take a step, Roger's hoarse voice stopped him. "Don't bother, Garp… it's useless. I know my own body better than anyone."
Garp froze, then sat back down slowly, his fists clenched. He listened to Roger's fading coughs, the sound of a man's body finally giving in after years of burning too bright.
After a moment, Garp spoke softly. "That thing you asked of me… it's done. Everything's arranged."
Roger smiled faintly, his eyes soft. "Thank you, Garp. To think that in the end, I'd have to rely on my greatest rival to fulfill my final wish."
He laughed heartily, his voice echoing through the small chamber.
Garp couldn't help but chuckle as well. "Don't worry, Roger. I'll make sure the boy becomes a Marine!"
Roger's laughter came to an abrupt stop. "Wait, what? Hey, Garp, that's not what I meant! I just asked you to look after him, not brainwash him!"
Garp crossed his arms, grinning smugly. "Too late for that! If I'm doing this, I'm going all the way! I'll raise him to be a fine Marine, just you watch! Hahahahaha!"
Roger's face fell flat, and Garp's booming laughter filled the cell again. For a while, their banter carried a strange warmth a reminder of the respect between two men who had fought on opposite sides their entire lives.
But soon, silence reclaimed the room.
After a long pause, Garp asked quietly, "Hey, Roger… is this really the end for you?"
Roger blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Tell me honestly," Garp said, his voice low. "You don't have some hidden plan, do you? Some scheme you're not telling us about?"
He knew Roger too well. The Pirate King never did anything without a reason. Surrendering to the Marines? It didn't add up.
Roger tilted his head down, his voice soft. "Garp… this is it. My journey ends here. The next generation will find their own path. I'm… tired."
For a moment, Garp felt lost. Could it be that this time, Roger really wasn't hiding anything?
If he had looked closer, he might have noticed the slight twitch at the corner of Roger's mouth… the faint tremor of his shoulders as he tried to hold back laughter.
If Garp had seen that, he probably would've shouted, "You're acting me out, damn it?!"
With a long sigh, Garp finally stood. "I'll be outside, Roger. If you need anything, just call."
Roger nodded faintly, closing his eyes.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the sea, the Marines' fleet was approaching Loguetown.
At the center of the square, Vice Admiral Ezra D. Vale stood among a crowd of Marines. His sharp gaze swept across the plaza.
He frowned slightly. "Hina, clear the area."
"Yes, Vice Admiral Vale!" Hina barked back, saluting sharply.
Within moments, hundreds of Marines began to move.
"All civilians must evacuate immediately! Anyone obstructing Marine operations will be arrested for interfering with justice!"
The warnings echoed again and again, and the pirates lurking in the corners began to tremble. Their gazes shifted past the Marines, locking onto the man standing at the center Ezra D. Vale, the Marine known across the seas for his overwhelming strength and icy composure.
One by one, the pirates swallowed hard and slipped away from the plaza.
When the last of them were gone, Hina approached and saluted once more. "Vice Admiral Vale, all non-essential personnel have been cleared!"
Ezra nodded. "Good. Begin constructing the execution platform."
"Yes, sir!"
The square fell silent again an uneasy calm before the storm.
Soon, history would repeat itself on this very ground. And at the heart of it all stood Ezra D. Vale, his gaze calm but unreadable, watching as destiny quietly began to turn its wheel once more.
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