South Blue, Baterilla Island.
Rowan's real body arrived here with Kuma. After searching for a long time, they still found no trace of Garp or Portgas D. Rouge.
Clearly, since Rouge had been pregnant for nearly twenty months, her condition must have been obvious by now. She could only remain hidden.
And with Garp around, once they hid in the island's forests, both food and safety were guaranteed.
But this made Roger's request as a jail warden… difficult to fulfill.
"Don't be upset, Kuma. In the past few days, you have already saved hundreds of pregnant women. That is a huge number."
Ginny patted Kuma's shoulder.
Kuma shook his head. "But there are still many who refused to believe us or leave. They were captured by World Government agents. They have done nothing wrong. The unborn children are innocent too."
Rowan, wearing a cloak and mask, spoke calmly, "Nothing can ever be perfect, Uncle Kuma. What you should think about is that without you, even more people would have been executed."
The three of them continued deeper into the forest, deliberately choosing the most remote paths.
Earlier, whenever they asked about pregnant women in town, people avoided them.
Later, Rowan changed tactics, asking about a sloppy but strong man who could eat and sleep anywhere.
Still nothing.
In the end, they left Baterilla Island.
Most likely, once the Revolutionary Army spread the news, Garp had already taken Rouge away.
If she had left the South Blue aboard Garp's ship, then perhaps she could survive.
…
Inside the prison space.
At the center platform, Rowan's crime value now stood at seventy-four thousand, excluding the remainder.
After obtaining the Flying Thunder God technique from the golden chest, Rowan had no interest in opening bronze or silver chests anymore.
Even bronze physique cards no longer improved him significantly.
In half a year, his crime value had risen from forty-eight thousand to seventy-four thousand, largely thanks to those souls burned to nothing.
Just a little more, and he could open another golden chest.
"So, how is it, young man? Are Rouge and Ace safe?"
Roger's soul had clearly been waiting. The moment Rowan appeared, he asked eagerly.
Rowan glanced at him. "Didn't you act like you didn't care before? And how are you so sure you will have a son?"
Even now, Roger laughed. "The one they are waiting for in twenty years must be my son. And it's not that I don't care. I just believe he will live… and inherit the will of this sea."
True enough.
At first, Ace inherited the will to become Pirate King.
Unfortunately, lacking a father's presence, he later followed Whitebeard's path.
Ending up as… the deceased brother of the future Pirate King.
After that silent remark in his mind, Rowan replied, "The information was spread earlier. By the time I reached Baterilla, they were probably gone. And I was on the World Government ship. No woman named Portgas D. Rouge was captured."
Roger visibly relaxed.
Belief was one thing.
Worry was another.
Now reassured, his attention returned to the prison.
Half a year was enough for him to understand its functions.
As the jail warden, he even had to assign cells and control the black flames when prisoners increased.
"Good. That puts my mind at ease. But this place is boring. No meat, no drinks, no banquets. Young man, when will you bring someone else to talk to?"
Roger stretched, glancing at the now silent prison that once echoed with screams.
Rowan's tone turned colder. "You know that those burned by the black flames are completely erased. Yet you remain here. Becoming a warden depends on whether I recognize someone."
"Recognize, huh…"
Roger thought for a moment. "This prison… it isn't a Devil Fruit ability, is it? When you made me a warden, I thought it was because of Laugh Tale."
He sat down and looked at Rowan. "But in half a year, you have never once mentioned it. So you truly don't care."
Rowan replied simply, "I already told you. That final island is not my goal. And I am not the inheritor of that kingdom's will."
He turned toward Roger. "Inheritance of will, prophecies… none of that matters to me. My existence itself is the greatest change to this world."
"I know most of this world's secrets. With that knowledge, and this prison, what I want is to crush this world's restraints completely. Not wait for some chosen one."
"Keeping your soul is because you might become useful in the future. Roger, you and I are different. You seek adventure first, then change."
"But for me, adventure has no meaning. From the beginning, my goal has been to change this world into what I want to see… not this broken reality that makes me angry wherever I look."
Roger stared into Rowan's eyes.
After a long time, he sighed. "This prison is incredible. But you don't understand what they rely on. The Great Kingdom's power was beyond imagination, yet it still fell."
"From the day God Valley was erased, I understood their strength. That kind of force cannot be opposed by any single person or organization."
What was needed…
Was the strength of the entire world.
All races.
All people.
Roger frowned.
He clearly did not believe Rowan could succeed.
That kind of power…
Even he, Whitebeard, or Rocks would have been killed instantly.
"Yes… an attack that erased an island."
Rowan smiled slightly. "But what if I had the power to destroy an entire planet in a single strike?"
"Then Mary Geoise would be nothing more than something I could wipe out with a flick."
Destroy a planet in one strike?
Roger froze.
How could such power possibly exist?
Even Devil Fruits, which could realize human imagination… should not be capable of something like that.
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