Chapter 102 – Roger's surrender

Whitey Bay: "Golden Lion is still alive? How is that possible?"

Stussy: "Golden Lion Shiki, what a nostalgic name. Is he in the East Blue now?"

Vinsmoke Reiju: "A person my father occasionally mentioned? Arton is actually going to meet him?"

Charlotte Smoothie: "Someone who was once in the same pirate crew as my mother is still alive?"

Black Maria: "I never thought I'd hear the name Golden Lion Shiki again. Is Arton just going to meet him for treasure?"

Doll: "According to Arton, it's because of Buggy that he wants to find the Golden Lion Shiki. Does this mean Buggy has decided to stop keeping a low profile and start taking action after meeting Arton? Is his first move to find the former Golden Lion Shiki? But what is Buggy's goal, and what is Arton's goal?"

It wasn't just Gion who was surprised.

Everyone who had been at sea for a long time was just as shocked and puzzled as Gion.

Golden Lion Shiki was someone who once rivaled the likes of Whitebeard and Roger.

After Golden Lion disappeared for so many years, everyone thought he was dead.

Now, suddenly mentioned by Arton, how could Gion, Whitey Bay, and others not be surprised?

For a moment, all the women looked at the diary copies with even more fervor.

Especially the navy, who were afraid that Arton and Buggy would team up with Golden Lion Shiki.

The Golden Lion was someone who had once single-handedly caused trouble for Marine Headquarters.

If he were to team up with Arton and Buggy, it could cause immense disaster for the sea.

At least, that's what Gion, Doll, and others thought.

[Golden Lion Shiki, a person who once faced off against Pirate King Roger and the world's strongest man Whitebeard on the sea.]

[Although he opposed Roger and initiated a great war at sea, he still had a great deal of respect for Roger.]

[If it weren't for this respect, he wouldn't have gone to Marine Headquarters and caused a ruckus when Pirate King Roger turned himself in, fighting fiercely against Marines Sengoku and Garp.]

All the women were completely stunned.

Initially, they thought Arton was just mentioning Shiki in passing.

They never expected that they would learn such secrets about Roger from Arton's diary.

Because it involved Roger, the navy became increasingly worried, while the pirates grew even more curious about what Arton would mention next in his diary.

Gion: "Is the truth about Roger's surrender going to be exposed? This could be a bit troublesome."

Tashigi: "Roger surrendered himself?!"

Vinsmoke Reiju: "The Pirate King Roger turned himself in?"

Boa Hancock: "The Navy has always claimed they captured the Pirate King Roger. Is that a lie?"

Whitey Bay: "So, Roger's surrender has always been suspicious. It makes sense, though. He was someone who could stand toe-to-toe with Dad. How could the Navy capture him so easily?"

Violet: "Does this mean that the Pirate King Roger deliberately initiated the Great Pirate Era?"

[Roger must have seen something incredible on the final island, which made him want to start the Great Pirate Era with his death.]

Hina: "So, Roger really surrendered on purpose. But why would he do that?"

[There was no other choice. Roger was already terminally ill after becoming the Pirate King.]

[Even if he hadn't surrendered, he only had a little time left to live.]

[So, he made that final decision, letting people go after 'Laugh Tale.']

Charlotte Smoothie: "I see. If it weren't for his terminal illness, the Navy could never have captured Roger."

Nico Robin: "But why did he do it? Why did he want people to search for 'Laugh Tale'?"

Nico Robin frowned deeply.

She had a vague feeling that Roger initiating the Great Pirate Era was only a superficial purpose.

Roger's death ushered in the Great Pirate Era, fundamentally for some shocking reason.

"Laugh Tale must hold something more than just treasure."

"But what could it be?"

Nico Robin murmured, looking at the diary copy.

She hoped Arton would explain.

However, the topic in Arton's diary had already shifted to another aspect.

[Speaking of which, Roger was really something.]

[Before surrendering, he even made sure his wife was pregnant.]

[In the end, to prevent Roger's bloodline from being preserved, the Navy cruelly targeted many pregnant women.]

[Heh, from this perspective, the Navy's justice is a joke.]

[Those were all pregnant women. Who knows how many pregnant women and their children died at the hands of the Navy back then.]

[Tsk tsk, I never claimed to be a good person, but at least I wouldn't do something as cruel as killing pregnant women.]

[Two lives lost with each death.]

[I wonder if those Navy soldiers can sleep at night, haunted by their actions.]

Charlotte Smoothie: "Well said. The Navy is just a bunch of hypocritical pretenders."

Ulti: "Killing innocent pregnant women? Even to eliminate the Pirate King's bloodline, that's too much."

Baby5: "So many children, dying before they even got a chance to be born?"

Vinsmoke Reiju: "Such a cruel outcome."

Violet: "This... the Navy went too far."

Nico Robin: "Using any means necessary to achieve their goals. That's very much like the Navy that destroyed Ohara."

The revelation that pregnant women were killed by the Navy made the female pirates mock the Navy relentlessly. Those who were neither pirates nor Navy, but possessed diary copies, frowned deeply at the Navy's actions.

As for the Navy members with diary copies, they were utterly shocked. Some even began to question their belief in Navy justice.

Hina: "Hina is very surprised. Did the Navy really do something like this?"

Tashigi: "This... this is not the justice I believe in!"

Ain: "How could this be? Even if it was to eliminate the Pirate King's bloodline, those pregnant women and their unborn children were completely innocent."

Hibari: "Did Roger's son ultimately die too? But, even if he did, he had nothing to do with what Roger did."

Doll: "Sigh, if this truth gets fully exposed, it will be very troublesome. It seems I need to have a serious talk with the younger Navy members like Hibari."

Gion: "So, this matter is finally exposed."

Veteran Navy members like Gion knew about this incident. They also knew the Navy had many concerns that led to such actions. However, even so, they understood that this could not be attributed to justice. Just as Arton mentioned:

[Roger was neither a competent husband nor a competent father in this matter.]

[If he had handled things more cautiously, his wife might not have died.]

Hibari: "So, Roger's wife and daughter are also among the deceased…"

[In this situation, only Roger's wife, Rouge, was truly heroic.]

[As an ordinary person, to avoid being discovered by the Navy and to save her child's life,]

[She used every means possible to delay the birth of her child.]

[Ultimately, she succeeded. She carried the child in her womb for 20 months before giving birth.]

[Unfortunately, she also died from exhaustion in the end.]

Black Maria: "Roger's son is still alive?!"

Hibari: "So that's how it is. This woman named Rouge is truly incredible!"

Charlotte Smoothie: "Interesting, very interesting! The Navy went through all that trouble, killed so many pregnant women, and yet Rouge still managed to give birth to Roger's child."

Yamato: "So Ace's story involves such a background. His mother is truly great! Damn it, I must find a way to save Ace. Ace, wait for me!"

Nico Robin: "Rouge... she reminds me of my own mother…"

Vivi: "Arton is right. Even if both Roger and the Navy were wrong, at least Rouge stands for justice."

Baby5: "Rouge… if only my mother was like that…"

Ulti: "Hmph, the Navy in this matter is a complete joke. But where is Roger's child now, and what is he doing?"

Whitey Bay: "By now, Roger's child should be an adult. Is he following in his father's footsteps as a pirate?"

Doll: "Could it be that Roger's son was taken in by Rayleigh, the deputy captain of the Roger Pirates?"

Kujaku: "The Navy ended up doing something completely counterproductive."

Gion: "So, this is how it turned out... sigh…"

At this moment, the hearts of the female Navy diary holders were extremely conflicted.

The Navy committed unforgivable atrocities in their attempt to kill Roger's bloodline.

But the result?

Roger's child survived due to his mother's greatness.

In this, the Navy not only sullied the word "justice" but also failed to achieve their goal.

The Navy indeed became a laughingstock.

For a moment, Tashigi and Hibari, who had joined the Navy for a shorter period, stared blankly at their swords and rifles, lost in thought.

Hibari: "Was joining the Navy really the right decision for me?"

Tashigi: "Can I truly find the justice I seek within the Navy?"

***

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