Chapter 55: Marriage

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The meeting ended quickly, as was typical for the Marines. However, Arashi felt somewhat troubled by it, though the feeling didn't last long. 

In his memory, the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, after reaching the final island, Raftel, disbanded his crew and went into hiding on Baterilla Island in the South Blue, where he married Portgas D. Rouge.

"At this point, Roger is probably busy with Rouge, trying to have a child, right?" Arashi guessed to himself. 

After nearly a year of peaceful life, the world-renowned Pirate King surrendered himself to the Marines.

"What kind of person is Roger right now?" Arashi wondered. 

Despite being gravely ill, Roger managed to reach the title of Pirate King, only to dissolve his crew due to his deteriorating health or other reasons and hide on a small, nameless island in the South Blue.

His days were numbered even if Roger didn't surrender a year later.

So, what condition was Roger in now? How much of his peak strength remained? 

When Arashi learned he was assigned to the South Blue, these thoughts flooded his mind. 

Suddenly, he felt a mix of nervousness, excitement, and a surge of fighting spirit. 

How much weaker was he compared to the Pirate King, the world's strongest? Could he defeat Roger in a confrontation?

With these thoughts swirling, Arashi stayed at Marine headquarters for about a week. 

The modification of the Seastone-enhanced warships sparked a technological overhaul in the shipyard after news of the advancement reached them. 

Due to the importance of Arashi's mission, his ship, along with those of Sengoku and Zephyr, was given top priority for upgrades. 

Seven days later, the modifications were complete, meaning Arashi could set sail for the South Blue.

Arashi didn't delay. 

Many officers assigned to nearby regions had already departed without waiting for their ships to be modified, planning to do so later. 

Arashi bumped into Borsalino at the port, who was also preparing to set sail.

"Good day, young Arashi," Borsalino greeted him with a smile, glancing at Arashi's crew, including Crocodile and Bullet. 

His expression shifted slightly. "Whether it's you or your subordinates, you all look terrifying!"

Arashi burst into laughter. "You're the one who's truly terrifying!"

Borsalino waved his hand. "I just want to do my job peacefully, " he sighed. But recently, this world has been anything but peaceful."

"Pirates, Marines, even the World Government—each scarier than the last."

Hearing the hint in Borsalino's words, Arashi asked, "What do you mean, Borsalino? Has the World Government made a move, too?"

Borsalino glanced around and lowered his voice, the smile fading from his face. 

"You haven't heard? They're taking Roger's impact much more seriously than us."

"This time, not only has CP been deployed to track Roger's movements, but it seems even the Holy Knights have appeared."

"The Holy Knights?" Arashi was surprised. "What's that?"

"Who knows? It sounds terrifying. But I'm not sure whether they're involved in this situation." Borsalino shrugged and straightened up.

Arashi pondered this, guessing the extent of the World Government's power. 

After the more casual conversation, Borsalino curiously poked at Arashi's large chest muscles, clicking his tongue. 

"In just two years, you've changed so much. This strong physique of yours might scare away some delicate beauties!"

Arashi rolled his eyes. "You perverted old man."

"Heh, heh. Call me what you want, but I'm still quite young—only a few years older than you," Borsalino said with a shake of his head. 

Stretching, he glanced at his now-ready ship. "Well, it's time for me to set off, too! After this busy period, I need to take a vacation."

Arashi sighed with some admiration. "Sometimes, I envy your clock-in, clock-out work ethic."

"It's just a job, after all," Borsalino replied, waving as he boarded his ship.

Onboard, Slo waved back at him. "Well, it's time for us to set off too!" Arashi said with a deep breath.

The warship slowly sailed out of the Gates of Justice while Slo and Mina furrowed their brows, carefully planning their route.

"Since our ship can pass through the Calm Belt, we don't need to go through the Grand Line to reach the South Blue."

"We'll cross the Calm Belt directly to the east of us and head straight into the South Blue," Mina confirmed.

The two quickly mapped out the route. Arashi had long since stopped worrying about steering the ship himself. 

His navigator and shipwright would execute everything perfectly as long as the destination was set. 

It often made him appreciate the value of having skilled subordinates.

By early afternoon, around two or three o'clock, their ship had entered the Calm Belt.

When the ship entered the Calm Belt, everyone's expressions subtly changed as they felt a distinct, unsettling sensation. 

The once billowing sails suddenly stilled, and the fluttering clothes and capes stopped moving. 

There was no longer any wind—none at all. Even the sea beneath the warship lay eerily silent, dead calm. 

This astonished Arashi, as everything in the world was constantly in motion, and motion always generated airflow, creating wind and currents.

A butterfly flapping its wings in the distance might cause a storm across the sea, illustrating the interconnectedness of all things. 

In simple terms, the Calm Belt defies the laws of nature, yet it undeniably exists.

Ivans, Rosinante, and others leaned over the ship's edge, their faces tense and alert. 

Large shadows floated quietly near the sea's surface, giving off a silent but terrifying presence that made everyone uneasy. 

These were unmistakably Sea Kings. Crocodile and Bullet gazed solemnly at the water below, both silent. 

Arashi, having never seen such enormous creatures before, was deeply shaken. 

He had encountered giants before, like Saul, but compared to these rulers of the sea, even giants seemed insignificant. 

The warship slowly passed by, and they saw the largest of the creatures—its size rivalling a mountain, like a small island floating on the sea, revealing only its massive, black-scaled back. It was a horrifyingly enormous creature.

Soon after, they spotted a densely forested island in the distance.

"There's an island in the Calm Belt?" Crocodile said in surprise.

"It's Amazon Lily, the island of the Kuja," Bullet replied in a deep voice. He had heard legends of this island during his time with Roger.

The crew gazed at the island as they passed it by. By late afternoon, the ship emerged from the Calm Belt. 

In an instant, a gentle breeze blew through the air, startling everyone.

"We've arrived in the South Blue!"

"That was fast!"

In the South Blue, on Baterilla Island, pink petals floated through the air, accompanied by soft music. 

A glass of deep red wine, a white wedding dress, and a green lawn filled with laughter and joy set the scene for a modest wedding celebration. 

In this little-known town, a couple held hands, smiling happily as they entered a new life together. 

Yes, today, on Baterilla Island, a cheerful wedding was underway. 

On the stage, a man with a moustache stood beside a young woman in a wedding dress, both smiling as the officiant led the ceremony with light-hearted interaction. 

All the wedding guests were absorbed in the joyous atmosphere, unaware that three men in civilian clothes had quietly taken seats at a corner table.

Arashi gazed at the couple on stage, narrowing his eyes slightly. 

They had arrived in the South Blue seven days earlier, gathering information that had finally led them to this island today. 

It was pure coincidence that they stumbled upon this wedding. 

The atmosphere was lively, and Arashi's eyes fixed on the couple on stage. 

No one could have imagined that the world-famous Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was standing hand in hand with a woman, like the most ordinary man, stepping into the happiest moment of his life.

Opposite Arashi, Crocodile looked astonished, staring incredulously at Roger's face. 

"How did you know?" This question came from Bullet, who sat to the side, his serious and heavy tone. 

Without a doubt, no one in the world would ever expect the Pirate King to be hiding on a small, obscure island in the South Blue, in a tiny town of only a few hundred people, and even holding a wedding right before their eyes.

But somehow, upon entering the South Blue, this man headed directly for this island. How could he have known?

"A guiding hand of fate, perhaps," Arashi replied faintly. He paused, his gaze returning to the couple on stage.

"For now, let's enjoy the celebration. It's not every day you get to attend the old captain's wedding, right, Bullet?"

The bullet remained silent, his hands under the table slowly clenching into fists. 

He couldn't comprehend how the man who once dominated the world, breaking through countless obstacles to become the Pirate King—who came so close to ruling the world—could now, on an unremarkable island, be stepping into a wedding hall.

"You've fallen, Roger!"

Bullet couldn't shake the deep sadness in his heart despite his anger. 

Even a king who once stood at the pinnacle of power couldn't avoid returning to ordinary life in his twilight years, quietly awaiting the arrival of death.

"I'd rather send you out of this world myself!" Bullet growled through gritted teeth, his gaze on the stage turning fierce. 

Just then, Roger, in the middle of the wedding ceremony, caught sight of Arashi and his two companions sitting quietly in the corner. 

His expression shifted slightly.

"What's wrong, Roger?" Rouge noticed the change in his face and quickly asked. 

She, too, looked down and saw the three men. "Are they your friends?" Roger smiled faintly, holding Rouge's hand. "Friends?"

"Maybe you could say that." He, too, was surprised—where he was hiding was like a drop in the ocean compared to the vast world. 

How had the Marines found him so quickly? Still, Roger didn't dwell on it. 

Since they hadn't caused any trouble upon arrival and were silently attending the wedding, he decided to wait until after the ceremony to address the matter.

The wedding atmosphere soon reached its peak, with everyone cheering and clapping. 

Roger remained calm as if he hadn't noticed Arashi and the others. 

In fact, during the toast, he even came down with Rouge to clink glasses with the three.

"How's your teacher doing?" Roger asked with a smile.

"He's fine, in the East Blue," Arashi replied.

"What a pity he couldn't attend my wedding," Roger laughed heartily.

"That might be for the best," Arashi chuckled. 

The two exchanged words naturally, like old friends, and Roger showed no signs of anything being amiss. 

This made Rouge genuinely believe the three men were her husband's friends.

"Bullet, I didn't expect to see you here!" Roger added with another smile.

Snap! Bullet, silent, clenched his glass until it shattered. Rouge's expression changed, and she quickly called for someone to bring a cloth.

"No need!" Bullet said gruffly, dropping into his chair. "Congratulations on your marriage!" he forced out, then fell silent.

"And you are?" Roger asked, still smiling, before turning his gaze to Crocodile.

Caught off guard, Crocodile raised his glass. "Congratulations on your wedding! You can call me Crocodile."

"Haha, I hope you enjoy the celebration too!" Roger laughed. He and Rouge moved on to greet other guests.

The wedding wasn't large, with only about a dozen people at the tables, most of them Rouge's relatives and friends from the town. 

Roger had very few friends present. 

Because of this, the warm-hearted villagers soon surrounded Arashi and the others, and the atmosphere remained lively. 

Arashi made no immediate moves.

He quietly observed Roger, who showed no signs of illness—he looked energetic and had no trace of weakness.

Once the Pirate King, Roger's overwhelming presence and dominance had silently faded away. 

Hiding on Baterilla Island, he seemed like an ordinary man, blending into the background.

Soon, the wedding concluded. The guests said their farewells and dispersed in groups, leaving the area quickly emptying.

"When do we act?" Bullet gritted his teeth, holding back a wave of anger, unable to bear seeing the once mighty king now appearing so unremarkable.

"Wait. He will come to us," Arashi replied calmly.

Crocodile, however, seemed hesitant. "Are we going to make a move on him? He's the Pirate King, Roger—one of the world's greatest legends! Can we take down such a man with just the three of us?"

Arashi only smiled in response, offering no answer.

They waited throughout the afternoon until around dusk. 

The three finally saw a man in casual clothes, with a long sword at his waist, walking toward them with a smile.

"Roger!" Bullet growled, clenching his teeth.

Roger approached them, then suddenly laughed. His right hand rested on the hilt of his sword. 

His sharp gaze fixed on Arashi, and at that moment, the smile took on an air of authority, a pressure that startled the three men.

"Marine boy," Roger said, "I see a blazing ambition in your eyes!"

Arashi, hearing this, smiled back. His fists collided, black and red lightning crackling around them as his gaze sharpened.

"I have a question," he said. "Why did you give up everything, disband your crew, and come to this nameless island?"

Roger grinned, drawing the sword at his waist, his aura suddenly surging.

"Because," he declared, "I have no interest in ruling anything!"

<End Chapter>

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