Chapter 249 - CHAPTER 249:The Two People Who Love Each Other

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On the execution platform of Loguetown, the Golden Lion soared through the sky with his Lion-Lion Fruit powers, his massive blond mane whipping in the wind. His arrival was like a thunderclap, shaking the morale of the gathered Marine elites. His eyes locked onto Roger, fury and disbelief surging like a storm.

"Shiki… I wasn't arrested by the Marines. I surrendered," Roger said calmly, his voice laced with both sorrow and freedom.

The words stunned Golden Lion. This was the man who had spent his life fighting against the system—hunting, recruiting, challenging. A man who never bowed.

If not for Roger's swift reaction, Golden Lion's punch would have crushed the Marine trying to stop him. Roger had stopped it—protected a Marine. That moment told Shiki more than words ever could.

"Roger, what the hell is going on?! You, of all people, surrendering?! That's not the man I fought with all these years!" Golden Lion's voice trembled with confusion and rage.

Roger gave a tired smile. The pain was more than physical. "I'm dying, Shiki. Terminally ill. I don't have much time left. If not today, then maybe tomorrow, or the day after. But it doesn't matter anymore."

The Marines watched silently, none daring to interrupt the pirate king's confession. The air was thick with tension.

"If we let him escape now…" murmured Sengoku to Garp, "...this era will spiral into even greater chaos."

"I've already made my deal with them," Roger continued, ignoring the whispers around him. "In exchange for my life, they let you go. You, Shiki. You and anyone else who dares stand by me today. So don't throw that away."

The execution platform groaned beneath the sheer pressure of the two legends. Roger and Golden Lion—two titans who had once tried to kill each other—now stood side by side.

Kong's forehead twitched with rage. "This ends now!" he roared, leaping onto the crumbling platform.

But he was too late. Roger, still in shackles, pulled out Ace, his supreme-grade blade, from beneath his cloak, and clashed with Kong's incoming fist.

"Shiki!" Roger shouted, "Leave now!"

But Golden Lion didn't budge. He had come here willing to die. Today, he didn't care about ambition or legacy. He cared about Roger.

"This is madness," Akainu spat, stepping forward with his fists boiling in magma. "This is the Pirate King! And you—Golden Lion—you've spat on our justice long enough!"

The sky above Loguetown darkened as smoke and dust filled the air from the earlier impact. Marines flooded the square—Kizaru with his light, Aokiji forming frozen barricades, Zephyr ready to strike. Even the World Government's CP0 captains stood by, cloaked and masked.

"You're both going to die here today," Akainu declared.

Golden Lion narrowed his eyes. "If Roger dies today, it will be by my hand. Not yours. I won't let your 'justice' rob us of our end!"

The execution platform split in two as Kong and Roger clashed again, the ground exploding in shards of stone and steel. The audience gasped.

"I don't want to resist today's execution," Roger said again, standing amidst the rubble, breathing heavily. "But I have one condition."

"What is it?" Sengoku demanded.

"Let Shiki go," Roger answered.

"Absolutely not!" Akainu roared. "The name of justice cannot be sullied by letting scum like him walk free!"

Sengoku glanced at Garp and Tsuru. Their silence told him everything. This wasn't about justice anymore. It was about dignity. And Roger still had some left.

At that moment, memories flooded Golden Lion's mind—of their battles against the Rocks Pirates, their insane team-up with Kaido and Ayr to destroy Marineford, the times they'd fought and bled together and against each other. Back then, Roger was unstoppable. But now… now he was dying.

Roger looked at the sky, smiled, and whispered, "It's a pity. But my adventure ends here."

Golden Lion's fists trembled. He could barely keep his rage contained. "You bastard... you're going to die in East Blue? Here? Surrounded by cowards in uniforms?!"

Roger gave a slight shake of his head. "It's where it all began. Seems fitting it ends here."

Meanwhile, Akainu growled, his fists already forming new magma bursts. "If you try anything again, Shiki, we'll bury you too."

Cracks spread across the plaza from Roger and Kong's last exchange. Marines readied their weapons. One wrong move could spark a full-on war.

Suddenly, Roger looked toward the audience. Dozens of pirates—captains who once served him—were hidden among the crowds. They weren't here to fight. They were here to say goodbye.

Roger's smile deepened.

"Let Shiki go," he repeated, turning to face Sengoku and Garp directly.

Zephyr appeared beside Kong, his gaze locked on Roger. "You're still trying to protect people, even now?"

"Old habits," Roger chuckled.

Garp finally spoke. "He's right. We can't allow a war to break out here. Not in front of the world."

"Garp! Don't tell me you're—" Akainu started, but Garp cut him off with a glare.

"Enough."

CP0's leader stepped forward. "If this is the Pirate King's last request, the World Government will grant it. But know this—there will be no more leniency."

Roger nodded, then turned to Golden Lion, who had frozen mid-stride. "Go, Shiki. I chose this path. You still have yours."

"But why…?" Shiki asked, voice hoarse. "Why give up? We could've taken the seas again, you and me. Just like old times."

"Because... I found something worth dying for."

The execution grounds fell silent.

Roger was no longer laughing. He was peaceful, resolute.

Golden Lion clenched his fists, the cigar slipping from his lips and falling to the shattered stone below.

Then, without another word, he vanished in a gust of wind and golden mane, retreating into the skies.

The Marines tensed, but Sengoku raised a hand. "Let him go."

Akainu looked furious, but even he could see the futility.

Roger smiled one last time. "Goodbye, Shiki."

And in that moment, the Pirate King sat back down on the execution platform, looked to the sky, and waited.

Justice had been challenged—but not destroyed.

The legend… was ready to end.

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