Chapter 79: Roger Died In Front Of Me; Have You Died Before?
Ralph was unaware that he had already gained some notoriety.
His mind was currently preoccupied with the upcoming plot developments.
Walking half a step behind Lufia, Ralph never let his gaze stray from the straw-hatted figure ahead.
She was unusually excited today.
This was the birthplace and final resting place of Pirate King Roger—to her, it was practically a pilgrimage to holy ground.
Under normal circumstances, Lufia would be ambushed by the resurgent Buggy and Alvida, who had consumed the Sube Sube no Mi, while visiting the execution platform.
Just as she was about to be beheaded, Lufia's fearless smile would awe the entire crowd, revealing her innate potential as the Pirate King.
Then, a bolt of lightning would strike to save her, allowing Lufia to miraculously escape death!
Ralph thought it over—he would absolutely not let Lufia take such a risk.
Even with her father's protection, it was out of the question!
It was fine to follow in her idol's footsteps!
But there was no need to imitate him by nearly dying on the execution platform!
Couldn't she just climb up safely, check in, and take a photo?
Although Alvida and the Buggy Pirates had already diverged from the original storyline, Ralph decided to accompany Lufia through this process anyway—to prevent the plot from forcibly correcting itself.
Safely, of course.
Before Lufia could even ask a passerby for directions to the execution platform, Ralph's Observation Haki detected a unique presence.
It was the scent of tobacco and steel.
Shortly after, a tall man with white hair, clad in a white jacket and with two cigars in his mouth, turned the corner.
His gaze was sharp, and the Sea-Stone Jitte on his back gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
Smoker the White Hunter.
And behind him followed two subordinates in standard Navy uniforms.
Ralph's heart tightened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.
He instinctively wanted to pull Lufia behind him, but before he could act—
Lufia's carefree nature took over once again.
Even if she didn't recognize the intimidating Smoker as a Navy officer, she should at least notice the two Navy members trailing him!
Yet, Lufia calmly stepped forward, wearing a bright smile: "Excuse me! Do you know where the execution platform is? I want to see the place where Pirate King Roger died!"
Ralph: "..."
He felt cold sweat might break out on his forehead.
But the next moment, Ralph reconsidered.
This might actually be the least suspicious approach.
Acting nervous in front of the Navy would only make them seem more guilty.
By boldly asking for directions like Lufia, they were less likely to be suspected.
And Lufia wasn't pretending to be natural—she genuinely was.
In contrast, Ralph worried that his own acting might fall short and drag Lufia down.
So he kept his eyes solely on Lufia, avoiding any glance at Smoker.
After all, with his Observation Haki activated, he could strike first whether he was looking or not.
Smoker came to a halt, cigar smoke curling slowly in the air.
His sharp eyes scanned the young pair before him.
The girl wore a straw hat, had a scar on her face, and her smile was utterly pure, without a hint of deceit.
When she asked about Pirate King Roger's execution platform, her eyes held only genuine curiosity and admiration—no trace of guilt or evasion.
Smoker had captured countless pirates, but he had never seen such an innocent and unblemished gaze on any of them.
Even if she wanted to see the place where the Pirate King died, Smoker merely regarded her as another tourist drawn by fame.
As for the boy behind her...
Smoker's gaze shifted to Ralph.
With black hair, dark eyes, and delicate features, he appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old.
His eyes remained fixed on the girl the entire time—that level of focus and admiration couldn't be feigned.
Just an ordinary couple here for sightseeing.
Smoker blew out two smoke rings. "Follow where the smoke drifts, and you'll find it."
"Over there? Thank you!" Lufia cheered, then grabbed Ralph's hand. "Ralph, let's go!"
She started running excitedly, her straw hat bouncing behind her.
Ralph smiled affectionately and quickly caught up.
Only after running two blocks did Ralph secretly sigh in relief.
That was close.
Although Smoker probably hadn't seen the latest wanted posters yet, at that distance, being recognized would have inevitably led to a fierce battle.
And Ralph had no intention of fighting Smoker in Loguetown.
Not because he feared losing, but because... it would be troublesome.
Once a fight broke out, the entire plan would be disrupted, and Lufia's "pilgrimage" would be ruined.
"Ralph, this way!" Lufia's voice called from ahead.
Ralph looked up to see Lufia standing at a crossroads, glancing left and right before choosing the narrower, more secluded alley without hesitation.
He stood still, frozen for two seconds, then shook his head with a resigned smile.
Why correct her? As long as Lufia was happy, she could run wherever she wanted! It's not like they were in a hurry!
He quickened his pace to follow.
In the end, Ralph found them standing in front of a bar.
A wooden sign swayed gently in the wind, bearing faded letters:
"Gol D. Roger Bar."
Ralph's memories instantly sparked.
He vaguely recalled this plot... In the original story, Luffy did come here and met a bar owner who admired Roger.
"Wow! Ralph, look!" Lufia had already pushed the door open excitedly. "This bar is actually named Gol D. Roger! Let's check it out!"
Ralph followed her inside.
The bar was small, with only five or six tables, all empty at the moment.
Behind the counter, a white-haired, wrinkled old man was wiping glasses.
Loguetown was the island where Roger was born. Even after becoming a pirate, he often returned, and this bar was one of his frequent haunts.
Having heard countless legendary tales directly from Roger, the bar owner naturally developed a deep admiration for him.
Though Lufia hadn't found the execution platform, stumbling upon this bar was still a success.
Sure enough, after Lufia mentioned wanting to see the place where Roger died, the two Roger fans—one old, one young—launched into one topic after another.
"See this skull?"
The old man's fingers gently brushed a skull on the table, larger than an average person's.
"It belonged to someone called 'Giant Killer.' Legend has it he killed a hundred pirates and was infamous throughout the East Blue. But Roger took him down with a single strike!!"
"So amazing!" Lufia trembled with excitement upon hearing the story, her eyes shining with admiration. "One strike! Just one strike!"
Wait.
Ralph's first wave of favorability in front of Lufia was earned by telling stories to deceive her.
Now someone was telling stories and showing off in front of Lufia, actually without including him?!
Could he tolerate this?
Absolutely not!
Ralph cleared his throat lightly, leaned forward slightly, and fixed his gaze on the large skull: "This slash is indeed beautifully executed. But old man, do you know what Roger's Saber is called?"
The old man looked at Ralph, a flicker of understanding and amusement in his eyes, seeing through this young man's intention to show off in front of his female companion.
You little rascal, still trying to test me?
I've poured wine for Roger, have you?
Roger has boasted in front of me, has he with you?
Roger has died in front of me, have you?
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